Highway of Heroes
by False Shepard
Summary: AU: With the discovery of Crystal Momentum, Duel Monsters took the world by storm. But even then it's not fun and games. An unlikely group is brought together as something that seems so simple grows out of control. The battle within begins.
1. Struck by Lightning

_He gave the battlefield a single glance over, satisfied with what had happened here on this very day. Placing his sword upon his back he walked over to his defeated opponent and looked down upon him. There was no need for him to speak, for a defeated opponent was a dead opponent. Bloody battles these days were scarce at best; for the world was slowly changing. Men no longer used swords to decide the outcome of conflict, he knew the days he could use his blade in battle were becoming less and less with each passing heartbeat._

"_Sir." One of his troopers ran up to him, slightly winded, his entire team were just rookies. The Guardian Corps didn't see the need to send experienced men out with him, not for what was supposed to be a routine mission. "It's Corporal Farron, she was lost in the fight against the Dreadnought sir, and we're starting to think that she had fallen to Pulse. If we can organize a search party-"_

"_Nobody survives a fall from Cocoon to Pulse soldier." He told the trooper softly. "We'd just be searching for a dead body in a criminal's wasteland, leave her." He smiled softly as his subordinate faltered slightly._

_Unable to stand up to his Commanding Officer, he had no choice but to obey, the rest of the small squad was already regrouping away from the Pulsian bodies and the destroyed war machine. Slowly he walked over to where he had seen his friend last, finding something sparkling on the ground. Bending down he brushed the dirt aside and came up with Corporal Farron's dog tags, for the chain must have broken when she was hit. Closing his hand around them tightly, he knew who they belonged to now, but he prayed, that deep down she was still alive._

_She needed to see the world that they were about to change with the success of this mission._

* * *

><p>The smile on her face that day made the room much brighter that it actually was. Her friend did not complain for the young girl was usually rather solemn for someone of her age. Her friend smiled softly in return, the two of them had opted to skip school for the day to await the return of her elder sister.<p>

"Excited to see her again, aren't you?"

"It has been two months since she left on that mission." She told her friend softly, the smile fading slightly as she fingered the protected card in her hand. It was a gift from her sister before she had left for duty. "She told me it wasn't going to be that dangerous. They're scouting out the Vile Peaks for certain Crystal Reserves that the Sanctum needs to help strengthen their new power source."

"I heard about that on the news." Her friend stated, but wasn't really concerned. "But aren't the Vile Peaks really dangerous? I mean they border Pulse." She sighed. "I mean I know we're floating above Pulse, but there is that almost completed Gran Elevator…" She didn't get to finish as the sound of the door being knocked on echoed through the small apartment she shared with her older sister.

"Serah?" her friend asked quickly, she looked at her and frowned softly.

"I wasn't expecting anyone." She walked over to the door and opened it slowly, her heart dropping when she saw two uniformed men from the Guardian Corps standing in her doorway.

"Miss Serah Farron?"

"That's me…" Serah started slowly. "Is something wrong?"

"It's about your sister. Claire Farron."

The moment those words left the man's mouth, Serah's world ended. Her friend rushed to the door as soon as she realized what was going on. Serah's knees gave out at the news, her friend catching her before she fell. She could only hear what the men were saying in parts, as if it was a rehearsed speech.

"Corporal Farron was killed in action during a Pulse Raid…"

"Colonel Ballad reported that her body had fallen to Pulse… we'll be performing a search for her shortly…"

"She'll be promoted to Sergeant for her honourable actions on the field …"

"We do have her tags, General Amodar ordered us to give them to you…"

As soon as the men left, Serah finally let her tears free, her sister's tags and the card falling to the ground, resting side by side. Serah's friend could only pull her closer to her, unable to find words of comfort for the crying girl. She looked over to the two items that she knew would become important in Serah's life, for she knew that her sister was the world to her. She prayed that the card that her sister had given her will be strong enough to get Serah through the trials to come.

_**Chevalier de Fleur**_

* * *

><p><strong>Highway of Heroes<strong>

With the discovery of Crystal Momentum, Duel Monsters took the world by storm. But even then it's not fun and games. An unlikely group is brought together as something that seems so simple grows out of control. The battle within begins.

**Ride 01:**_** Struck by Lightning – Enter Riding Duelist Farron!**_

* * *

><p>"<em>Hey! We got a live one here!" she could hear the voice of a young boy cry out. She groaned softly, trying to move her body but her limbs were like lead weights, she wouldn't be moving anytime soon. "It looks like she took quite the tumble." She heard him continue. "We need to find Snow; I don't think any of us can carry her."<em>

"_So you want to take her back with us?" another voice cut in. "Look at her; she's wearing a Guardian Corps uniform. She can arrest us just for helping her because we're from Gran Pulse. Leave her." Slowly she tried to move her body again, her arms protested and her legs refused to move. For the life of her she couldn't remember what had happened to her before and after she took the haymaker hit from the Dreadnought._

"_Yes, we might be on Gran Pulse Noel." The first boy spoke again, she was finally able to open her eyes but they didn't notice. She could see them now, a small blonde boy wearing goggles on his forehead wearing baggy clothing made of deep purples and red. The other boy, taller, with brown hair was wearing a style she had never seen before, his blue clothing heavily embroidered with colourful threads. "But she clearly fell from Cocoon, no one survives that, but she did." The blonde spoke turning to the other who was obviously Noel. "A fall like that would cause damage to the body, a concussion even. If she were to wake up who would say she'd even have her memories intact?"_

"_I still don't know…" Noel crossed his arms, she thought to herself quickly. She was awake now; they were bound to notice but in turn she was caught at a crossroads. She knew at the least that she was from Cocoon and was part of the army, why else would she have been fighting a Dreadnought? But if she pretended that she didn't even remember that then maybe these boys will help her, help her remember who she once was._

"_Oh, you're awake." During the time she was thinking her plan through she didn't realize that the blonde boy was now standing over her immobile body. "Can you move?" he asked before realizing something. "Oh, I'm Maqui, the grumpy boy over there is Noel. May I ask for your name Miss?"_

_She gave him a clueless look; thankfully Maqui bought it as he smiled at her again before waving Noel over. Noel sighed and started to climb the pile of rubble that Cocoon was constantly dumping on Gran Pulse towards the two of them. "Do you know how you got here?" Maqui asked her again, she decided to speak._

"_I… I don't know." She spoke slowly realizing that her throat was dry and it was hard to speak. Maqui helped her sit up and offered her water from his canteen he was carrying, she took it graciously. Sighing she added, slightly more confident that she could do this. "I don't even know where 'here' is."_

"_You're on Gran Pulse." Noel cut in pointing at her. "Or what your people like to call 'Pulse'. By the looks of it you've fallen from the edge of Cocoon and landed here, losing your memories at the impact." He crossed his arms. "Judging from what you're wearing, you're part of the Guardian Corps, I wouldn't be surprised if they announced you dead already."_

_She stayed silent, hoping that she didn't have anyone related to her to mourn her._

"_No matter." Noel took her silence as a sign to go on. "That doesn't mean you can't start a life here on Gran Pulse." He took a look over her uniform, noticing a name on an embroidered patch fixed to her jacket. "The name is Noel, Noel Kriess." He held out a hand for her to take, somehow she mustered the power to take it. "I'm guessing your name is Farron."_

"_Farron?" she asked, wondering where he had found that out before realizing that it was probably embroidered onto her clothing. Noel helped her sit up slowly as she brought a hand up to her face looking down on her uniform. "I guess it is." She looked up at Noel and Maqui before reaching up and pulling the patch off her jacket. The two boys helped her up to her feet, surprised that she was still able to walk. It surprised Farron herself, she had come to believe that she had broken at least a few bones with all that pain she had been suffering through until Maqui gave her some water. Slowly she looked back up at Cocoon, her blue eyes narrowing. Something or someone helped her survive, she knew it, but she didn't know who._

"_Oh! I see that you're a Duelist too!" Maqui pointed out when he saw the extra pouches attached to her belt. Farron frowned as she reached for it, pulling out a deck of cards._

"_I guess I am." She told the boys as she perused the deck, looking at each card with a careful eye. She could remember seeing these before; this was the deck she was building as a gift to someone, a young boy probably. Her real deck was in her other pouch; something was telling her not to touch it, not right now._

"_Do any of the cards spike any memories?" Noel asked her as she slowly went through each card with a white frame, pausing on the last one._

"_No." she answered, before putting the deck away, the two boys sighed in defeat. "However, do you know where I can get something to eat? I'm famished."_

_She smiled as the two boys laughed. Farron knew, she'd be able to get along with them just fine._

That was three years ago.

Noel stood at the end of a tunnel, a stopwatch in hand, his ear carefully trained to listen for the hum of Farron's D-Wheel. He heard the roar of the engine slowly getting louder as Farron rounded the corner on her white motorcycle, her red cape snapping in the wind as her crystalline blue eyes looked stern behind the visor of her streamlined white helmet. Just as she passed him he hit the stop button on his stopwatch, stopping the counter. He grinned when he saw the numbers; she had blown her old record out of the water with the new equipment Maqui had salvaged. A few seconds later another motorcycle in the shades of blues and silvers rounded the corner, a large blond man upon it, frustrated.

"Goddamnit Farron!" the man swore, Noel laughed before shouting.

"You have two kilometres to the finish line Snow! You better win that duel soon!" he called out, the blonde man laughed.

"Yeah I know! But Farron has been stalling!" Snow whined. "I'm still waiting!"

Noel chuckled as he ran towards the base that they called home. That was the thing with Riding Duels, it was impossible to watch them unless one could track them. He punched in a few keys and looked over the field. Several turns had passed and Snow was at an advantage, but Farron was sitting on a full hand of cards, as if she was waiting for the right time. Riding Duels, while they were played identical to that of a Ground Duel there were a couple different rules added to the game to make it that much more intense. They were like a simple race with a finish line so the duel had several ways one could win: winning the Duel, hitting the finish line first, or stopping the opponent's D-Wheel.

"Come on Farron." Noel muttered as he looked at the screen, they both knew the flaws in Snow's deck. He had a full field and Farron's field was empty and her Life Points were in the red. If Snow's 'Sense' was as strong as Farron's she would have lost the duel a while back.

'Sense' was something else that a Riding Duel had that a Ground Duel currently lacked, with the speed of a D-Wheel mixed with the energy of the Crystal Momentum and the heart of the Duelist they could materialize the Solid Vision within the D-Wheel making what should be holographic attacks real. Farron's 'Sense' was unrivalled in Gran Pulse. Noel grinned as he turned up the audio of the laptop.

Farron looked over her shoulder, seeing that Snow was struggling to keep up with her speed. She took a glance at her hand, now was a perfect time to stop stalling and get the real fight going, but first things were first.

"My turn!" Farron shouted. "Draw!"

[Farron – **Life Points: 900**]

[Snow – **Life Points: 8000**]

Taking a quick look at her hand of seven cards, knowing that she had stalled long enough she plucked one Spell Card and Monster Card from her Wrist Dealer, taking a moment to set the Monster Card in her Graveyard. "By discarding one card from my hand I use the Spell Card Lightning Vortex!" she called out, both Duelists knowing the card's effects as holographic lightning rained down upon the battlefield destroying every monster. Snow grunted as he cleared off his full field of Monster Cards, Farron was going to turn the game around, he knew it.

"Next I follow up with the Spell Card, Heavy Storm!"

Snow cleared out his Magic and Trap Card Zones, a clean slate for the two of them. It was only a matter of time now.

"I set one monster face down and then I'll play an additional card face down before ending my turn." Farron stated, a facedown card appeared beside her before disappearing while another appeared horizontally and continued to float behind Farron, tailgating her.

"Alright… no matter." Snow told himself, knowing that the finish line was getting close. "Draw!" he called out taking a look at the card, instead of placing it in his hand he played it. "I play Reinforcement of the Army! I'm choosing Marauding Captain from my Deck and placing him in my hand." He discarded his Spell Card and had his chosen card ejected from his deck, but instead of adding it to his hand he played it instead. "I summon Marauding Captain in Attack Mode!" he threw the card down on the playzone of his D-Wheel, the warrior taking form beside him. [**ATK: 1200** – DEF: 400]

"Okay, next I'll activate his effect which allows me to Special Summon one level four or lower monster from my hand. I Special Summon Big Shield Gardna in Defence Mode!" [ATK: 100 – **DEF: 2600**]

"Here we go again." Farron muttered as she saw the stats roll across her visor.

"Battle! Marauding Captain! Attack Farron's facedown Monster!" he shouted as his captain charged forward and sliced the card, destroying it. Farron smirked.

"Bring it on." She taunted, Snow growled.

"I play a face down and end my turn." He said, slightly smug, Farron read him instantly as she pulled the top card of her deck.

"Draw!" she shouted, signalling the start of her turn. She took the card that she had just drawn, _Quillbolt Hedgehog,_ and slipped it into her Graveyard while pulling another card from her Wrist Dealer.

"By discarding one card from my hand, I can Special Summon Quickdraw Synchron." She stated as she summoned the monster in Attack Mode. [**ATK: 700** – DEF: 1400]. Looking at her new comrade she smirked before pulling the last card from her hand and playing it. "Next I summon Junk Synchron in Attack Mode!" [**ATK: 1300** – DEF: 500]

"Oh dear…" Snow muttered, all too familiar with this attack pattern. While the deck was something a young child in the Academy should be using, Farron always knew how to exploit it to be the best it could be, swarming quickly and relying on her Synchro Monsters to deal out the damage. If she couldn't win that way she'd just beat her opponent to the finish line. Ever since they had gotten their D-Wheels she had been undefeatable simply because she no longer fought Ground Duels.

"Monster Effect!" Farron declared. "When Junk Synchron is successfully Normal Summoned I can Special Summon one Level Two or lower monster in Defence Mode with negated effects! Tuningware! [ATK: 100 – **DEF: 300**] Snow bit his lower lip. She was swarming, she was done messing around, and he was _screwed. _"When I have a Tuner Monster on the field I can Special Summon Quillbolt Hedgehog from the grave." She added pulling the card from the Graveyard and playing it. [**ATK: 800** – DEF: 800]

"Bring it on Farron!" Snow taunted, he was getting desperate now. "I can take it all on!"

"Let's see if you can." Farron smirked. "I'm tuning my level five Quickdraw to my level two Quillbolt!" she shouted as Quickdraw Synchron fired his pistol five times before breaking down into five glowing green Synchron Rings as Quillbolt flew through them, breaking down into two glowing stars. _"Clustering Crystals will become a new force!"_ she chanted, something most, if not all, Duelists did for a Synchro Summon. _"Become the path its light shines upon!_ Synchro Summon! _Blaze on!_ Nitro Warrior!" Farron roared out as the green and black bug-like warrior appeared on the field with a mighty roar. [**ATK: 2800** – DEF: 1800] Farron wasn't done however.

"Tuning! My level three Junk Synchron to my level one Tuningware!" she shouted as Junk Synchron pulled the cord on his engine he wore like a backpack before breaking down into the familiar rings and consuming Tuningware. "Synchro Summon! _Appear now!_ Armory Arm!" [**ATK: 1800** – DEF: 1200] "Since I used Tuningware as Synchro Material, I can draw a new card." With that her hand count when up from zero to one. "Perfect."

"Not good." Snow muttered as he tried to will his D-Wheel to speed up, but he knew it was already at its limit. Farron was too fast.

"I activate my Spell Card, Double Cyclone! By destroying a facedown card I control I can destroy yours! I destroy Miracle's Wake!" with that both facedown shattered, revealing Snow's card to be Mirror Force. "Nitro Warrior's effect activates! Since I used a Spell Card he gains a thousand Attack Points during its next attack during damage calculation only." [ATK: 2800 **3800**]

"Next I use Armory Arm's effect, by equipping it to Nitro Warrior, its Attack Points increase by one thousand as well." With that the smaller monster attached itself to Nitro Warrior and the beast flared slightly as its power rose once more. [ATK: 3800 **4800**]

"Here comes the turn around." Snow muttered as Farron chuckled.

"Go now Nitro Warrior! Attack Marauding Captain! _Dynamic Knuckle!"_ Farron commanded as the warrior lunged forward at Snow and destroying it.

[Snow - LP: 8000 - **4600**]

"Armory Arm's secondary effect activates! When the equipped monster destroys a monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard I can inflict damage to my opponent equal to the Attack of the destroyed monster! _Armoured Strike!_" With that Nitro Warrior struck the side of Snow's D-Wheel, dropping his Life Points a little bit more.

[Snow – LP: 4600 - **3400**]

"With that the first effect of Nitro Warrior wears off." Farron continued. [Nitro Warrior – ATK: 4800 **3800**] "And its second effect activates!" With that Big Shield Gardna stood up, his points shifting. [**ATK: 100** – DEF: 2600] "When Nitro Warrior destroys a monster by battle I can change one face-up Defence Position monster you control into Attack Mode and strike once more! _Dynamic Knuckle!"_

Snow cried out when he was struck by Farron's unbelievable 'Sense' the second time around as she put the fire on him, the last move was more than enough as he spun out of the control as the hood of his D-Wheel popped open, releasing smoke and steam in his face.

[Snow – LP: 3400 - **0**]

"Dammit Farron!" he cried out just as the woman slid through the finish line and bringing her D-Wheel to a stop. She took off her helmet and shook out her pinkish-blonde hair before smirking at the larger man.

"I win again." She said as she gathered her deck, Snow gave her a dark look.

"That's totally unfair, saving your Sense to the end like that." He complained, Farron just chuckled before returning to her D-Wheel. Maqui, who was at the finish line with a group of spectators, ran up to Farron, smiling widely.

"I knew it would work! The new CPU!" Maqui was thrilled; Farron smirked as she walked over to Maqui and poked him on the face right where a yellow criminal marker stood out, stark against his skin.

"As long as you didn't steal it, like what you did with Snow's." she smirked, Maqui grinned.  
>"Nope! I didn't! I promise!" he said, nodding along. Farron turned around just in time to see Noel jog up to them.<p>

"That was amazing Farron, a One Turn Kill." He breathed out. "I know it's possible, but I never thought I'd see one happen." He chuckled before turning to Snow. "Your deck sucks."

"Get a deck first then we'll talk!" Snow shot back; Noel rolled his eyes as he turned to Farron who was running her hand over the hood of her white D-Wheel. Now that it was no longer moving one could see the deep green accents and golden trim. Not many people knew it, but Farron had named the D-Wheel _Sleipnir._

"Yeah you know that's impossible! We live on Gran Pulse, below Cocoon." He gestured wildly at the massive orb suspended in the sky by a crystal pillar. They had said that centuries ago Cocoon used to float in the sky before it came tumbling down without warning. By some ungodly miracle the crystal pillar formed, protecting both Cocoon and Gran Pulse, that's when the discrimination between the two worlds came to what it was today. Cocoon was a haven for the people above while Gran Pulse was home for the criminals and those unfortunate just to be here. "We only get Cocoon's trash."

"That's not true!" Maqui shouted. "We got Farron! Are you calling her trash too?" Farron chuckled, knowing that Maqui just got Snow in a tight spot, even Noel was laughing.

"I'm gonna kill you Maqui." Snow growled.

* * *

><p>Farron sighed to herself as she stepped back from Sleipnir for the evening. While the duel with Snow had little to no impact on the D-Wheel, the worn Pulsian terrain did and was wearing out the used shocks that her motorcycle was equipped with. She stretched out her back and groaned slightly, attracting Noel's attention from the laptop he was tending to.<p>

"Done for the night?" he asked her, she nodded.

"I think so…" she muttered as Noel turned around in his chair, giving her a once over. Over the last few years Farron never really did regain much of her memories, just enough to duel and how to build her own D-Wheel with what parts they were able to find in the rubbish Cocoon always left on Gran Pulse. She also never really ditched the Guardian Corps uniform she was found wearing. While all her clothing now was new and not military issued, aside from the one pauldron she wore on her left shoulder, it still made her look like the soldier she once was. Noel wasn't sure why she decided that look, or if the red cape on her left shoulder was necessary as well, but it gave her that unique look that fitted with her rough gameplay style.

"Noel…" Farron started up again, the young boy looked up at her again. "When I know I'm ready, I want to return to Cocoon." She said softly. "It's not that I don't have anything against you guys, but it's been three years and I want to get my memories back." Noel watched her as her hand moved to her pouch, he narrowed his eyes slightly. He had come to notice this that whenever Farron would talk about her memories she would fumble around with the pouch she sported on her thigh.

"Have you figured out how?"

"Through the Gran Elevator. I mean, it's not forbidden to go to Cocoon, they just rather we don't. I'm not marked, I just don't have the ID to get to Cocoon legally. So I need to sneak in."

"If they find out they'll chase after you…what if you got caught?" Noel asked, Farron shook her head.

"They'll be able to ID me properly at the least, which would give me a start, assuming I don't get in too much trouble."

"I see." Noel muttered, deep down he didn't want Farron to leave, she had become such an important part of his life now. He knew that she couldn't stay forever though, she was from Cocoon, and she probably even had family up there too. "Then I want to make a promise with you, that one day, when I become a Duelist myself, we'll meet again and have a proper duel."

Farron smiled.

"I'd like that." She held his hand out to him and he took it.

"Then it's a deal." He said with a smile, but never got to continue the conversation as sirens began to blare throughout their little base. Maqui and Snow were suddenly in the same room as them, the smaller blonde boy panicking.

"They found me!" he cried out. "Farron! Help me!" he tugged on the cape that she quickly snatched out of his hands before giving him a stern look.

"I thought you said you didn't steal it!"

"I lied, but you really needed it Farron! You're the best! I wanted you to have the best!" Maqui reasoned. Farron sighed, there wasn't much she could do. Looking over to Noel he quickly turned back to the couple and punched a couple buttons as she fetched a black leather pouch, she attached it to the back of her belt before checking its contents. It was the gunblade she was found with three years ago, Blazefire Saber.

"That should jam the marker for now." Noel said as he gave Maqui a look, the boy fingered the yellow tattoo on his face slightly in embarrassment as Farron walked over to her D-Wheel and placed her helmet on her head.

"I'll lead them away, you guys take cover until I come back for you, okay?" she revved the engine as the boys nodded in agreement. Normally Snow would protest but after his sound defeat earlier in the day he knew better. They quickly scattered as Farron spun her D-Wheel around and quickly left the underground tunnels they called home. As soon as she hit the open air she could see the Airship that had tracked Maqui down in the sky, its searchlight zoning in on her instantly.

"_We got a D-Wheeler! Send in a pursuit team!"_ she could hear the commands echo throughout the radios as she sharply turned the corner. Sirens soon followed as the Sanctum Duelists were released onto the ground. Farron gave them a backwards glance and saw that they had five men after her.

"A Duelist after a Duelist eh?" she smirked as she released one hand off the handle bar and pulled out her gunblade. "Now… what would you do if this Duelist was also a fighter?" she lined up her gunblade and fired four shots, all four of them hitting their mark and bursting the front tires of four of the five Sanctum D-Wheels. She sheathed her gunblade afterwards and started to lead the last Duelist away. "Don't make this easy for me, it's boring."

Eventually she led the other Duelist to the entrance of the Mah'habara Subterra, she stopped her motorcycle and waited for him, he was several seconds behind but he caught up nonetheless. Farron watched him with a stern eye as he looked her over.

"No marker, you were just bait." The man on the other D-Wheel snarled. "You're working with that kid aren't you?" the man pulled his helmet off, showing her his face and his silver-white hair. For some reason Farron felt that she knew this man. "So your D-Wheel, it's pretty fast, was it stolen too?"

"I challenge you to a duel." She snarled. "If I win, you forget what happened here and the boy goes free."

"Do you even have cards?" he asked, pulling out his own deck and placing it in his wrist dealer.

"I found some cards." Farron muttered back as she held up her deck. "Why, is it a problem?"

"You Pulsian scum are all the same, all trash talk and trash cards." The Sanctum Solider muttered as he moved his D-Wheel to be nose to nose with Farron's. "This looks like a short track, a Half Point Duel?"

"Why, scared that I'll win just because I'm faster?" Farron sneered. "I have no problem with a Half Point Duel." She revved her engine. "First one around the corner goes first."

"What's your name, Pulsian?" the man asked quickly, Farron stared at him.

"You first."

"Yaag Rosch." Rosch told her, Farron glared at him behind her visor.

"Farron." She answered quickly "Ready?"

"No." he interrupted. "If I win, you and all of your friends are under arrest, and you will not resist me."

"You gotta beat me first." Farron smirked, Rosch snarled.

"Riding Duel!" he shouted

"_ACCELERATION!"_ The two Duelists roared out as both D-Wheels shot forward. Farron's overtaking Rosch's with ease and rounding the first corner.

"I take the first move!" Farron shouted as she placed her hand over her deck. "Draw!"

[Farron – **Life Points: 4000**]

[Rosch – **Life Points:** **4000**]

"I set one Monster face down and I play another card face down. I end my turn!" Farron said quickly as she played the two cards face down. Rosch grinned.

"I draw!" he called out pulling out his card. "I summon Stygian Street Patrol in Attack Mode!" he shouted as the demon rider from hell appeared beside his own D-Wheel. [**ATK: 1600 **– DEF: 1200] "Battle! Stygian Street Patrol! Attack Farron's facedown monster!" It didn't take much afterwards, the demon rider simply ran over the card and destroyed it. "Now for its effect! When this card destroys a monster in battle and sends to the Graveyard I can inflict damage to my opponent equal to the level of the destroyed monster multiplied by a hundred!"Quickly the same monster rode up to Farron and using Rosch's sense, slammed hard into the side of her D-Wheel, but she was hardly fazed by the attack.

[Farron – LP: 4000 **- 3600**]

"Reverse Card open!" Farron shouted. "Call of the Haunted! This card lets me Special Summon one monster from my grave! _Be Reborn!_ Junk Blader!" With that call a warrior dressed in dark purple armour with a tattered cape rose up beside Farron. With a roar he held his blade out before him. [**ATK: 1800 **– DEF: 600]

"Turn end!"

"Draw!" Farron pulled the card from her deck and gave it a sideways glance, nothing special, but she didn't know. "I set one card. Next I'll have Junk Blader attack Stygian Street Patrol!" she declared as her warrior moved against the demon rider and crashed into it, slicing through the motorcycle and having it blown up. Farron's Sense rocked Rosch sideways.

[Rosh – LP: 4000 - **3800**]

"For such a small attack, her Sense is incredible." Rosch muttered as Farron ended her turn, he quickly drew another card, grinning when he saw it. "I send my level four Assault Dog; level three Gonogo and my level two Jutte Fighter to the Graveyard in order to Special Summon Montage Dragon!" Rosch declared as he slammed the card down in the appropriate zone. "This card's attack is equal to the combined level of the discarded monsters time three hundred! Rise! Montage Dragon!" he roared out as a purple three headed appeared within the small tunnel. Farron knew if she didn't have such a lead against him she would be pressing up against the sides just to give the dragon room. [**ATK: 2700 –** DEF: 0]

"Twenty seven hundred." Farron muttered as Rosch chuckled.

"Battle! Montage Dragon! Attack the Pulsian's Junk Blader! _Power Collage!" _he roared out, Farron quickly whipped her hand out.

"Reverse Card open!" she shouted. "Scrap-Iron Scarecrow! This card lets me negate an attack once per turn and reset it! Therefore saving Junk Blader!" The scarecrow, true to its name, protected Junk Blader and Farron's Life Points.

"You…" Rosch took a look at his hand; he didn't have the card he needed to destroy that trap. "I end my turn."

"I have hand control." Farron declared. "This game is over Rosch! I draw!" she saw the card she pulled and smirked. Reaching for her hand she pulled _Quillbolt Hedgehog_ from the dealer and placed him in the Graveyard. "By discarding one card from my hand I can Special Summon Quickdraw Synchron!" [**ATK: 700** – DEF: 1400]. "Next, when there is a Tuner Monster on the field, I can Special Summon Quillbolt Hedgehog from the grave!" [**ATK: 800** – DEF: 800].

"Swarming with low levels… she can't be… a Synchro summon?" Rosch whispered to himself as he watched everything play out before him.

"Next I Normal Summon Quick-Span Knight in Attack Mode!" [**ATK: 1000 –** DEF: 800]

"A seven, nine or a six… what is she up to?" Rosch muttered as Farron looked over her hand.

"Shit, I miscounted…" Farron pulled the last two cards from her hand. "I use the Spell Card One for One! By discarding _Shield Wing_ from my hand I can Special Summon one level one monster from my Deck! Tuningware!" she shouted as the small familiar monster appeared beside her. [ATK: 100 – **DEF: 300**]. "Next, I'm tuning my level five Quickdraw Synchron to the level two Quillbolt Hedgehog and level one Tuningware!" she called out as the two monsters tuned to each other. "_Clustering Crystals will evoke a new horizon! Become the path its light shines upon!" _she called out. "Synchro Summon!_ Dash onward! _Road Warrior!"With that cry a large warrior in light gold armour appeared between herself and Montage Dragon. Road Warrior had taken the scene by storm. [**ATK: 3000** – DEF: 1500]

"Tuningware's effect! When he's used as material for a Synchro Summon I get to draw one card!" she pulled the card and was greeted with the green frame of a spell card. "Perfect."

"This isn't over until it's over Farron!" Rosch shouted, Farron chuckled.

"Sorry, my dear friend, but I'm about to show you something that no one else has survived before." She held her hand out, still holding onto the card. "I'm going to tune my level three Quick-Span Knight to my level four Junk Blader!" Farron called out. "Now watch! _Clustering Crystals will evoke the white flash! Become the path its light shines upon! _Synchro Summon!_ Strike Now! _Lightning Warrior!" she cried out as thunder roared through the tunnels, in a flash of white light a blonde warrior had appeared, adorned in silver armour. Farron grinned, while it wasn't the strongest monster in her deck, it had become a vital part of her over the last three years. [**ATK: 2400** – DEF: 1200]

Rosch swore loudly.

"Quick-Span Knight's effect activates! When he's used as material for a Synchro Summon and sent to the Graveyard, one monster my opponent controls loses five hundred Attack Points! Your Montage Dragon!"

"No! This can't be happening! I'm security! I shouldn't be losing to the likes of you!" Rosch protested as his monster's attack fell. [ATK: 2700 - **2200**]

"Finally I use the Spell Card United We Stand!" Farron shouted. "The equipped monster gains eight hundred Attack and Defence points for each face up monster on my side of the field! I have two, that's sixteen hundred! I choose Lightning Warrior!" the card was equipped and the electricity coursing through the warrior intensified as his stats rose. [ATK: 2400 **- 4000**][DEF: 1200 **- 2800**]

Now this was just simply overkill.

"Battle! Road Warrior! Attack Montage Dragon! _Lightning Claw!_" she commanded as lightning sparked throughout the tunnels once more as Road Warrior jumped upon Montage Dragon, his claws sparking with the familiar electricity before slicing through the dragon with ease. Farron's Sense flared, causing Rosch to cry out as he was all but electrocuted by Road Warrior's attack.

[Rosch – LP: 3800 - **3000**]

"This duel is over!" Farron roared as she sped up even more, trying to intensify her own power. "This is my greatest Sense! Lightning Warrior! Attack Rosch Directly!"

"No!"

"_LIGHTNING PUNISHER!"_

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** After reading and supporting Hawk00Refferencer's Cold Saga. I decided to dabble into a similar universe. I had a little experience with a previous story. _Forward Motion_ that ultimately dropped when I got into a fight with my partner in crime for that story. So I wish to use whatever I couldn't use in that story in this story. I am aware that Farron is out of character, but dealing with memory loss, one develops differently. This is how I'd see her if she grew up without the burdens she had.

Anyway there are some major notes about this story's universe. Cocoon has fallen and is supported by the pillar, but we don't know how it came to be (nor is it important to this story). Gran Pulse is still the hell below, but instead of being devoid of human life; around the base of Cocoon is a wasteland while moving outwards gives you the lush greens. Criminals of Cocoon are purged to Gran Pulse.

Riding Duels, as seen above, follow the 5D's Manga Concept, _**Speed World doesn't exist**_. Sense is a dominate feature in gameplay, making Riding Duels much more popular than Ground Duels. Half Point Duels are duels that start with 4000 Life Points over 8000; they are used in Riding Duels with shorter tracks, just to make it fair.

I also don't like making up cards, later in the story you'll see that a rather popular archetype was refaced to suit one of our favourite characters a little more. Personalized Signature Cards will be custom made.

Farron _**will not be**_ running a Quickdraw Deck the entire story, it will be shifting soon.

* * *

><p>"<em>I've been waiting to duel you for a while now... Serah Farron."<em>

"_Let your memories guide me to victory!"_

"_You drew a card against me! So now we duel!"_

**Next Time:** _Time Frozen in Crystal – A Duel in Memory of the Lost!_


	2. Time Frozen in Crystal

"_This is my greatest Sense! Lightning Warrior!" Farron cried out as the duel between her and Rosch of the Sanctum Military came to an end. "Attack Rosch Directly!" she slammed down on the accelerator of her motorcycle as she shot forward even faster, intensifying her power. "Lightning Punisher!"_

_Rosch barely got a scream out as the blonde warrior struck down on him with an electrifying strike. The raw power behind Farron's attack shattered the front axle of his D-Wheel and threw him off his bike. He grunted as he landed roughly on the ground, his own motorcycle just missing his head by a fraction as it crashed._

_[Rosch – Life Points: 3000 - __**0**__]_

_Farron brought her D-Wheel around and came to a stop behind the man. He growled at her while she took off her helmet, his eyes going wide with realization when he saw her face. She gave him a sideways look as he shook his head._

_"Are you okay?" she asked him as he quickly pulled himself up to his knees and looked up at her._

_"Why are you asking? You won, shouldn't you be fleeing?"_

_"I am not the type of person who will leave someone for dead if my life is not in immediate danger. You and I are both duelists and soldiers, I'm positive you understand." Farron said as she placed her helmet back upon her head. She revved her engine once before leaving the scene. Rosch growled to himself._

_"I know you Farron, I swear I know you, I'll find out who you are, and when I do, I'll defeat you in battle."_

* * *

><p>Farron sighed with relief when she got back to the base, the boys still there. Noel quickly ran up to her and grinned as she flashed him a smile. They traded a high five before she locked her D-Wheel down for the night. Noel went back to his laptop and started going over the data that he had recorded with Farron's last duel while Maqui and Snow went back to reorganizing Snow's deck.<p>

"The man I duelled, he knew me." Farron declared suddenly and loudly; all three boys looked up at her in surprise. "He didn't say it but I could read it in his actions. I need to go back to Cocoon sooner rather than later. I need to figure out who I really am."

"Farron…" Maqui breathed out as she shook her head.

"I'm sorry guys, but this is what I want."

Snow and Noel looked at each other quickly before nodded.

"We understand." Snow said. "We're going to help you get there. Then give us some time and we'll follow you to Cocoon." He held his fist up as a promise. Farron smiled.

"Thank you."

* * *

><p><strong>Highway of Heroes<strong>

With the discovery of Crystal Momentum, Duel Monsters take the world by storm. But even then it's not fun and games. An unlikely group is brought together as something that seems so simple grows out of control. The battle within, begins.

**Ride 02: Time Frozen in Crystal – A Duel in Memory of the Lost!**

* * *

><p>"Come on! Hurry up! We're going to miss it!" the girl yelled at her friends as they raced down the hallway.<p>

"It's the Riding Duel we've been waiting for! Farron against Izayoi!"

"I'm running! I'm running!" one of the girls shouted back as they made it to the back of the building. They were at their school, Queen's University, located in the heart of Eden. The group of girls made it out to the racing track and ran into a wall of sound that was the result of most, if not all, of the school's population screaming and cheering. They could hear the hums of D-Wheels along with the clopping a horse's hooves would make against solid ground.

"A fight for the title, Queen of Queens." One of the girls breathed out as she took in the sight of the duel being played. "Aki Izayoi versus Serah Farron."

"It was only a matter of time before Farron challenged Izayoi." A boy who was standing near the group commented as he too, watched the duel. "Farron fights in the memory of her late sister, and from what I heard through the grapevine... her ace card was a gift from her sister before she died."

"That's terrible..." one girl muttered while the other two looked over at the field. "That explains why she's always wearing those beaten dog tags though..." her friend sighed softly.

"Now I don't know who I want to win more... Aki or Serah..."

The field below was a different story. The current Queen of Queens, Aki Izayoi, was leading the race upon her red D-Wheel. She had two cards played face down with Botanical Lion running beside her as she turned the bend in the track.

[Botanical Lion - **ATK: 1900**– DEF: 2000]

Tailgating behind her upon a white D-Wheel was the challenging Duelist, Serah Farron. Three years ago after receiving the news of her sister's death she had turned to duelling with a passion, trying to find something within her to keep the memory of her sister alive. Claire Farron was a fighter, she wasn't, but by duelling she was able to become one. She slowly reached up to touch the battered dog tags she wore around her neck; it was a habit she did during her duels, a small prayer to Claire to help her win. She gave the field a once-over glance. She had one card placed face down; the Continuous Trap DNA Transplant active on the field with the Attribute set to LIGHT. Then, riding beside her was the normal Synchro Monster, Gaia Knight, Force of the Earth.

[Gaia Knight, Force of the Earth – **ATK: 2600**– DEF: 800]

"You know, I'm happy that you challenged me." Aki spoke to her over her shoulder, causing Serah to look up, slightly surprised. "I've been waiting to duel you for a while, Serah Farron." She smiled softly. "If your sister was still with us today I'm sure she would be proud of you."

"Alive or not, I know Claire is proud of me." Serah responded. "While I have no desire for this title, I just want to push myself to be the best I can be! That's what she would have wanted! I set one card and end my turn!"

"My turn! Draw!" Aki shouted as she pulled a card off the top of her deck.

[Aki Izayoi – **Life Points: 6400**]

[Serah Farron – **Life Points: 4500**]

"I Normal Summon the level three Tuner; Twilight Rose Knight in Attack Mode!" She shouted out as she played down a card, a small knight adorned in purple armour with electric blue hair appearing on the other side of her D-Wheel. [**ATK: 1000 **– DEF: 1000] "When he is successfully Normal Summoned I can Special Summon one Level four or lower Plant-Type monster from my hand!" she pulled a card from her wrist dealer. "I Special Summon Lonefire Blossom in Defence Mode! [ATK: 500 – **DEF: 1400**]

"Farron is done for." The boy muttered as the group of girls tore their eyes away from the field to him.

"Farron's gonna have to try to beat two strong monsters now."

"But she has her traps..."

"But who's to say that they're really traps?" he asked them. The girls looked back to the field, all of them unable to decide who to cheer for.

"Next I follow up with Lonefire's Monster Effect!" Aki called out. Serah didn't look disturbed at all, as if she knew this was a possibility. "Once per turn I can Tribute one face-up Plant-Type monster I control to Special Summon one Plant-Type monster from my Deck. I sacrifice Lonefire Blossom to Special Summon Tytannial, Princess of Camellias in Attack Mode!" [**ATK: 2800 **– DEF: 2600]

"Next I'm tuning my level three Tuner Twilight Rose Knight to my level four Botanical Lion!"

"Wait... why Synchro Summon?" a girl asked. "Farron only has one monster that's weaker than Camellias so for more damage, wouldn't it be wiser to keep the two monsters apart? I mean..." she pointed over at the running Botanical Lion. "Since Camellias has appeared on the field its attack is now twenty-two hundred because of it's effect."

"Yes, but Farron has not one but two face down cards. I think Izayoi is trying to prepare against that."

"Or Izayoi has a face down card or a card in her hand that will only work with what she's trying to summon." The boy added as they watched the Tuner Monster break down into the three light rings to consume Botanical Lion.

_"Chilling flames engulf the entire world. Pitch-dark flower, set into bloom!"_ Aki chanted out as rose petals began to form and flutter around the duelling field. "Synchro Summon!_ Appear now!_ Black Rose Dragon!" Aki cried out as her ace monster took to the field with a mighty roar, the rose petal-like dragon settling down to soar just above her. [**ATK: 2400**– DEF: 1800]

"Of course! After this turn Farron will be forced to go on the defensive. With Izayoi's Graveyard being filled with Plant Monsters, she can tear apart Farron's defence and the last of her Life Points!" a girl shouted out in the crowd, probably a few of them confused to why Aki had Synchro Summoned while she didn't really need to. Serah smiled softly, her blue eyes gleaming underneath the visor of her helmet.

"Battle!" Aki shouted. "Tytannial! Attack Gaia Knight! _Midsummer's Nightmare!_" she commanded as her monster moved to attack the Knight who charged forward. Their attacks clashed, the two monsters in a stalemate, as if the Gaia Knight was refusing to be destroyed, Serah threw her hand out, holding onto a card between her fingers.

"Because DNA Transplant is on the field and all Monsters are being treated as LIGHT-Type, I can use _Honest's _Monster Effect from my hand! By sending this card from my Hand to the Graveyard when a LIGHT-Type monster I control battles, I can have it gain the attack of the monster it's battling!"

"I counter with Tytannial's Monster Effect!" Aki shouted back. "I can Tribute one face-up Plant-Type monster I control to negate the activation of a card or effect that targets a card on the field and destroy it! I destroy DNA Transplant!" With that command both Tytannial and Serah's trap card disappeared. The crowd was in shock.

"Is that even possible?" one person asked

"The ruling for targeting is difficult to understand, even for the best. DNA Transplant is continuously targeting Farron's monsters while _Honest_ doesn't target. So I guess that means Izayoi was able to use Tytannial's effect against the trap, or take twenty-six hundred points in damage. She still has two face down cards to use against Farron and two cards in her hand."

"I end my turn." Aki declared, slightly peeved that she lost an excellent card like that, but it was to protect her Life Points.

"My turn!" Serah shouted back as she pulled a card off her deck. She smiled when she saw it. "Thank you..." she whispered before playing it. "I summon the level two Tuner Monster; Fleur Synchron!" she shouted as she played the card down. [**ATK: 400**– DEF: 200] "Next I'm Tuning Fleur Synchron to my level six Gaia Knight; Force of the Earth!" she pulled a card from her Extra Deck as Gaia Knight charged forward into the two Synchro Rings Fleur Synchron had created.

_"Time frozen in crystal; let your memories guide me to victory!_ Synchro Summon! _Become my sword!_ Chevalier de Fleur!"she chanted as the white floral knight adorned in a massive red cape appeared before her, the last gift given to her by her sister. [**ATK: 2700** – DEF: 2300] Then she pulled a Spell Card from her hand. "Next I'm going to use the Equip Card Divine Sword – Phoenix Blade and equip it to the Warrior-Type Monster, Chevalier de Fleur. She gains three hundred Attack Points with this card. [ATK: 2700 **3000**] With the activation of that card, the current sword that Chevalier was holding disappeared in a soft flutter of pink petals and was replaced with a new golden handled sword and a flutter of feathers.

"Battle! Chevalier de Fleur! Attack Black Rose Dragon! _Helios Break!"_she commanded as her knight charged forward at the dragon, Aki bit her lower lip for a mere second.

"Trap Card open! _Dimensional Prison_!"

"Chevalier de Fleur's ability activates!" Serah countered quickly. "Once per turn when my opponent activates a Spell or Trap Card I can negate the activation and destroy that card!" Serah shouted as Chevalier de Fleur slashed through the Trap Card and jumped up upon Black Rose Dragon who attacked with a flare burst. Fleur blocked it with her shield and just as Black Rose Dragon gave up ,she cleaved the dragon in half, destroying it. For the first time that duel, Serah's sense flared at the impact of the Phoenix Blade against the ground beside Aki's D-Wheel, causing her to lose balance just slightly.

[Aki - LP: 6400 **- 5800**]

"Trap Card open! Wicked Rebirth!" Aki shouted as she opened her second trap card. "By paying eight hundred Life Points I can select one Synchro Monster in my Graveyard and Special Summon it in Attack Mode with negated effects! _Be reborn!_Black Rose Dragon!" she called out as her dragon took the field once more, screaming at Chevalier de Fleur.

[Aki – LP: 5800 **- 5000**]

[Black Rose Dragon - **ATK: 2400**– DEF: 1800]

"I end my turn." Serah stated as Aki drew another card and looked over her hand. She needed to play a feint on Serah to get her to use Fleur's effect prematurely, then she could easily take the duel. Plucking a card from her hand, she opened up the Field Spell card slot on the dashboard of her D-Wheel.

"_Take a monster's life as nourishment, a garden full in bloom from a world of magic._Black Garden!"She shouted, playing the card. Before it could even take hold on the duel, Serah cried out.

"Chevalier de Fleur's effect activates! I negate and destroy Black Garden!" Aki quickly discarded the card without complaint as she pulled _Lord Poison _from her Graveyard, a monster card that was discarded earlier in the duel. "By removing _Lord Poison _from play I activate the Equip Card Mark of the Rose and attach it to Chevalier de Fleur!" the crowd watched as Chevalier was marked by the Spell Card and was unwillingly forced over to Aki's side of the field, thrashing about slightly before Black Rose Dragon struck her down with her tail. Chevalier slowly stood back up like a beaten warrior. Serah snarled slightly.

"This duel is over Farron!" Aki shouted back at her. "Black Rose Dragon! Attack Serah Farron Directly! _Black Rose Flare!_" The dragon roared out as Aki sped up her D-Wheel, trying to strengthen her Sense. Serah knew what she had to do.

"Trap, activate!" she shouted. "Mirror Force!"

"Chevalier de Fleur's ability activates!" Aki countered. "I negate Mirror Force! The attack continues!" she cried out, Serah took the blunt of the hit, grunting.

[Serah – LP: 4500 **- 2100**]

"Chevalier de Fleur! Attack her Directly! _Helios Break!"_Aki commanded but Serah flipped over her last Trap Card.

"Trap, activate!" Serah shouted. "Floral Shield! I negate the attack and draw one card!" she pulled the card off her deck, Aki frowned slightly.

"I end my turn and you get Chevalier de Fleur back." She muttered as the floral knight returned to her rightful side of the field.

"My turn." Serah muttered as she drew her card, she placed it in her hand as she plucked another card. "I summon Rose, Warrior of Revenge!" [**ATK: 1600** – DEF: 600] "Battle! Chevalier de Fleur! Strike down Black Rose Dragon once more! _Helios Break!" _she commanded as Fleur jumped back down upon Black Rose Dragon with a flash of red, destroying the dragon once more.

[Aki – LP: 5000 - **4400**]

"Rose! Attack Aki Directly! _Blazefire Strike!_" the female warrior charged forward, her white scarf snapping in the wind similar to how Chevalier de Fleur's cape was. The warrior flipped in the air once as her sword erupted in flame and fired a shockwave at Aki, Serah's sense rocking her just slightly since neither of them were trying to kill each other.

[Aki – LP: 4400 **- 2600**]

"Rose's Monster Effect! When she inflicts Battle Damage to my Opponent she can inflict an additional three hundred points of damage! _Vengeful Strike!"_Aki took the blow silently.

[Aki – LP: 2600 -** 2300**]

"During my second Main Phase." Serah continued again after running her hand over her sister's tags once more. "I use the Spell Card Double Cyclone to destroy my Phoenix Blade and your Mark of Rose, preventing you from getting Chevalier de Fleur back during your next Standby Phase." She discarded the card and the two named cards were also destroyed. "Set one card and I end my turn."

"Just like that you turned the duel around Farron. Excellent work." Aki drew her card to start her turn. "But that doesn't mean I'm just going to let you win. "I summon Phoenixian Seed!" [**ATK: 800 **– DEF: 0] Aki chuckled slightly when she pulled a card from her deck. "Using its Monster Effect; I sacrifice this card to Special Summon Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis from my deck!" [**ATK: 2200**– DEF: 0]

"Trap, Activate!" Serah shouted. "Bottomless Trap Hole! With that, this duel is now over with my victory!" and with that the newly summoned monster was removed from play and Aki was left with one card in her hand she couldn't play, not with Chevalier de Fleur's Monster Effect.

"I… I end my turn." Aki committed to her defeat as Serah drew the last card of the duel.

"Battle! Chevalier de Fleur! Attack Aki Directly! _Fleur de Mirage!_" she commanded as she sped her D-Wheel up to finally overtake the current Queen of Queens as her ace monster dealt the final blow.

[Aki – LP: 2300 **- 0**]

The two of them came to a stop. Aki got of her D-Wheel and walked over to Serah, holding her hand out with a smile. Serah took it and shook it. The crowd of spectators was cheering and laughing at the end of the duel, for a new Queen of Queens had been crowned. Serah stood up slowly as Aki showed her the last card in her hand, _Monster Reborn._Serah chuckled as she took off her helmet.

"It came down to our monsters, didn't it?" Aki laughed slightly as Serah nodded at her. "In the future, I wish to duel you again, not for the title, but as friends."

"I will hold you to that, Izayoi." Serah laughed.

"Don't make me wait, Farron."

* * *

><p>Yaag Rosch paced back and forth in his little office as another officer that was confined to a computer was trying to find information on the Pulsian he had lost a duel to. He! Of all people! Losing to mere Pulsian trash! He growled softly under his breath as he went through his deck, making slight changes to combat Farron's Quickdraw style of gameplay.<p>

"Rosch, sir, I have two matches… both are rather… unlucky though." His assistant spoke up as he looked down at her as she moved her hands around the touch-based computer screen.

"Serah Farron, a student at Queen's University in Eden." The picture was recent and showed the soft, innocent face of a girl. Rosch could see some kind of pain reflected in her blue eyes.

"That's not her, who's the other one?" he asked quickly, the woman was hesitant.

"The other person died three years ago sir. Serah's older sister." She pulled up the profile and Rosch's heart stopped. "Claire Farron." Rosch recognized the face. While the one on the computer screen was younger, it matched the one he saw down on Pulse.

"That's her."

"Sir?"

"The one I dueled on Pulse. She's aged a bit, but no doubt about it, the hair, the look in her eyes, that's the same person."

"Sir, she was killed in action three years ago."

"She fell to Pulse three years ago." He muttered as he held his chin. "I remember now, it's been a while. She was the solider that Ballad told his men not to search for." He picked up his deck and gave it a once over. "She runs a Quickdraw Synchron deck, I've made changes to mine to defeat that deck. I intend to beat her, arrest her, and see why she's been dodging Cocoon for all of these years."

The woman turned around in her seat as she gave the man a stern look. She pulled the glasses off her face as she bit down on one of the arms of the frames, her own mind racing too. She looked back at the computer screen and pulled up Serah Farron's profile again.

"I wonder…" she muttered, narrowing her eyes as she made a mental note. She turned to speak to Rosch but he was already gone. Grabbing a pen and a scrap of paper she quickly wrote down a couple notes before shoving it in the pocket of her jacket. She stood up and walked away, leaving Serah's profile open on the computer screen.

* * *

><p>"So, you've decided to leave us then, eh?" Noel started solemnly, looking up from his computer screen as Farron performed some last minute adjustments to Selipnir for her departure that evening. She sighed softly as she placed the cover back on the side of her D-Wheel and looked up at Noel.<p>

"I'm sorry, but I feel it's something I need to do. I love it here, I love living here, but I have this feeling in my heart that I'm missing something important. Going to Cocoon might be the only way to figure out what that is." She stood up slowly, adjusting how the belt on her jacket sat just slightly. "I will come back, Noel, I promise." She reached for the deck that she kept on her belt and pulled it out slowly, drawing the top card and coming up with Quickdraw Synchron.

"Like I said, that man from the other night knew me but I didn't know him."

"Farron, I understand." Noel sighed. "If I was in your shoes, I'd want the same thing." He looked at her. "To finally learn your real name; to see if you have a family that you accidentally left behind… hell… to see what kind of life you had before you ended up here on Gran Pulse." He watched as Farron gathered a few of her belongings and stored them in the small storage space on her D-Wheel. She grabbed her gunblade off the desk and strapped it to her belt as well before turning to her helmet. Suddenly her shoulders sagged.

"Noel…" she turned around to face him again as he looked at her, confused.

"Over these last few years, you've grown to be like a brother to me. Thanks for putting up with me and being there for me… I want you to have this." She held her deck out towards him. Noel stared at her, bewildered.

"Farron, I can't… it's your deck. If I take it, you won't have anything."

"Noel, this was never meant to be my deck." She explained. "I lied when I woke up three years ago. When I saw this deck I did remember something, this deck was meant to be a gift, to whom, I don't remember, but that's not important now. I want you to have it." She sighed before smiling softly. "My time of being the Quickdraw Duelist of Gran Pulse is done. I cannot think of a better person to hand the title over to besides you."

Noel reached out with a trembling hand. Deep down he had always wanted his own deck, he just never thought he'd get Farron's deck. He placed his hand over Farron's, the deck sandwiched between their hands. Slowly he pulled his hand back, taking the deck with him, speechless. Farron smiled and poked him in the forehead.

"Don't worry Noel." She reached down into the thigh pouch she had always had on her since they had found her and pulled out a small, black, deck box. "This here is my real deck and to this very day I haven't looked at a single card…" she glanced down at it, not really looking at it somehow. "I was scared that if I just looked at it, I'd remember everything, and I wanted to experience something new, something that I wouldn't have on Cocoon with you, Maqui, and the other idiot."

"Farron…" Noel stepped forward and placed his hands on top of hers. "Do me a favour… just pull out one card and see if that brings anything back. Anything." He pulled his hands back as Farron pulled the snap on the box and reached for a single card. Slowly she pulled it back up and took a look at it. Noel could barely see the white frame of the card as Farron's eyes narrowed.

"Lightning…" she whispered, before putting the card back, emptying out the black box and placing the deck on the Wrist Dealer that she was currently wearing. "I… I need to go…"

"Farron! Wait!" Noel shouted as the pink haired woman quickly sat down on her D-Wheel and put her helmet on. "What do you mean by lightning?"

"I've decided my name…" she looked up at him. "It's Lightning." She started up her motorcycle. "I'm sorry Noel." She placed her hand over her deck. "Once I start dueling with this deck my memories might come back, they might not… it'll be best if I leave now." Noel growled softly and grabbed Farron's arm.

"You're not going to just get up and leave us like this simply because you're scared of who you once were Farron… Lightning… whatever your name is." He snapped at her. "Just stay, let us help you."

"Let me do this alone." Farron growled. "I promised you, I will come back." She revved her engine just once as Noel took a step back in defeat.

"Alright." He pulled a card from his new deck and held it up for her to see. _Lightning Warrior._"I'll hold you to that promise. Lightning Farron."

"As I will to you, Noel Kriess." Lightning smiled as she held up her fist. Noel chuckled and bumped it, Lightning laughed herself before returning to the task at hand. Noel watched as she disappeared into the night.

"You better come back." He whispered. "Or I will come and find you."

* * *

><p>Lightning checked over her shoulder before looking back down at her deck, unable to bring herself to look at it further. Did this make her a hypocrite? She wanted her memories back but not like this, not having them all locked away in a small deck of forty-some cards. Slowly, she drew a card from her extra deck, the same card that had allowed her to choose a fitting name. <em>Lightning Warrior, Road Warrior<em>and then this card, why had she not noticed before?

Taking a sharp turn, she placed the card back in the slim pile that made up her Extra Deck. This one was much slimmer than the one that went with her's - no - Noel's Quickdraw Deck. Fingering the top card of her Main Deck once more, she sighed and pulled her hand away; now wasn't the time, she needed to get to Cocoon first. She looked down at the road while her mind started wandering again, was Noel right? Did she really need to leave Gran Pulse to find what she a looking for?

"No Farron." she told herself. "There is no backing down. It's time to shuffle the deck." She looked back up before turning once more and beelining it towards the Gran Elevator. It would be closed for the night now but with no ID she wouldn't be able to get on it legally anyway. Just getting there was the first step, getting up will be the next.

She didn't get much further as a massive scythe wielding monster came down upon her. She skidded Sleipnir to the side, just dodging the attack. The ground shattered beneath the two of them, showing just how strong the Sense the owner of this monster possessed. "I've never seen such a fiend before…" she growled as she moved to get away, but a chuckle caught her attention.

"So you blocked it…"

"That voice… you're Rosch aren't you?" Lightning sneered as the same man from before, upon a new sleeker Sanctum issued D-Wheel, raced up to her. He was almost able to keep up with her speed, but she knew he was already topped out.

"I swore I was going to find out who you are and then defeat you in battle!" Rosch shouted at Lightning. "I know who you are Farron! I know how to beat your small Pulsian Trash deck!"

"I don't have time for the likes of you!" Lightning snapped back at him, accelerating to try to get away, but Rocsh was persistent this time. With a single quick command the scythe wielding monster was attacking her once more. "Duel me Farron!"

"The name is Lightning!" Lightning roared as she drew a card from the top of her deck. "Strike! _Knight of the Red Lotus!_" she commanded as a knight adorned in dark armour and a tattered cape appeared between her and the reaper, blocking the scythe with his own demonic sword.

"You did it." Rosch breathed out. "You drew a card against me! So now we duel!"

* * *

><p><em>"Someone with the same face as your dear sister down there..."<em>

_"Strike him down! Helios Break!"_

_"Black Wyvren certainly has odd friends…"_

**Next Time: **_Race Onwards – Arise! Phoenix Gearfied!_


	3. Race Onwards

"_Is this seat free?"_

_Serah Farron looked up from her textbook and saw a woman with long blonde hair, dressed in the uniform of a ranking military officer. She hesitated slightly; the last time a uniformed officer spoke to her, it wasn't good news._

_"I know Sanctum is looking for skilled Duelists but I'm not interested." Serah muttered, hoping that would be enough to get the woman to leave, she didn't however. The blonde sat down across from her. Serah closed her book and looked at the woman._

_"This isn't a Sanctum matter, Miss Farron, it's about you." She sat back in her seat and pulled off her glasses. "I am Lieutenant Colonel Jihl Nabaat of the Sanctum Military, but I'm positive that who I am is of no concern to you."_

_"If you're here just to make small talk, I'd rather you not. I have a history exam I need to study for." Serah didn't really want to be rude since the Sanctum had been helping to support her since the death of her sister; otherwise she wouldn't have been able to attend Queen's University._

_"I won't take up too much of your time." Jihl smiled softly. "In six months time we are going to be hosting a Duel Monsters Tournament and I wish for you to take part."_

_"Isn't it a little too early to be invite me?" Serah shot back, Jihl gave her a soft smile._

_"Not when we need to scout for candidates. You're not the first person we've asked, Serah Farron." She pushed a Duel Monsters card towards her, face down. Serah didn't touch it. "You don't have to attend; you do have quite some time to think it over though." She stood up slowly, her meeting brief, just like she had promised._

_"Also…" she placed her hand down on the table, over the card so Serah would look up at her. "There have been these rumours… that on Pulse there has been… someone with the same face as your dear sister down there… going by Farron." She reached into her pocket and pulled out another card, an access card to the Gran Elevator. "This is off the record… of course." Jihl didn't say anything else as she walked away, the sound of her heels echoing on the tile floor._

* * *

><p>"Noel! Noel! I can't find Farron!" Snow shouted as he ran out into the open where Noel was going through a junk pile, trying to find parts to build himself a D-Wheel. He wanted to get on it as soon as he could. It would take a while before the calibration would be set properly; then even longer before it would become duel ready. He pulled out a couple tires and rolled them across an open field before even registering Snow's shouts.<p>

"She's _gone_Snow!" he snapped as he picked up an old pipe and threw it as far as he could. "Her memories scared her off Gran Pulse! She packed up, gave me her deck, and left!" he picked up another pipe and threw it like a javelin. "It's not like we need her anyway! She isn't the leader of us!"

"You just let her go like that?" Snow stormed over to Noel and grabbed him by the front of his shirt. "She wasn't ready! You know how she gets when she's put in situations she can't handle! She panics because she doesn't have the experience the rest of us have!"

"What was I supposed to do?" Noel snapped back at him. "She decided! Once her mind is set it doesn't change! That's how she is! I wasn't going to stop her!"

"Then you should have gone with her!"

"That's what I'm trying to do!" Noel pushed the larger man off him. "So Etro help me, you and Maqui are going to help me build my own D-Wheel and then we can go after Farron together!"

Snow didn't answer.

* * *

><p><strong>Highway of Heroes<strong>

With the discovery of Crystal Momentum, Duel Monsters take the world by storm. But even then it's not fun and games. An unlikely group is brought together as something that seems so simple grows out of control. The battle within, begins.

**Ride 03: Race Onwards – Arise! Phoenix Gearfried!**

* * *

><p>Lightning snarled softly as she watched her knight duel with the scythe-wielding reaper. The two monsters backed away from each other before clashing once more; the two warriors roaring and snarling like animals as the two duelists' Sense flared up. With a final clash, the two monsters disappeared and the Life Point Counters on their dashboards filled. Lightning looked over her shoulder at Rosch and gave his D-Wheel a once over; if she had had her Quickdraw Deck, this would be an easy battle. She looked over to the deck that she still hadn't looked at since pulling it out. She wasn't sure if she could win this one; she didn't know what kind of duelist she once was.<p>

"Riding Duel!" Rosch shouted, Lightning growled as she watched her deck shuffle itself at Rosch's call.

[Lightning Farron – **Life Points: 8000**]

[Yaag Rosch – **Life Points: 8000**]

"_ACCELERATION!"_they chanted at the same time while Lightning pulled the top five cards off her deck in a single swipe. She was already in the lead so she took the first turn.

"Draw!" she snatched the card off the top of her deck and, for the first time, she took a look at her hand. Her eyes narrowed slightly at the selection of cards she had pulled, she wasn't aware of such an archetype. Then again, she never really looked at cards when she was with the boys and those she had dueled had never had these ones. She went through the monster's effects; almost all of them had the same half of an effect written on them. Biting her lower lip she plucked a card that would give her a little more time.

"I set one monster face down and two other cards face down. I end my turn!" she called out. She knew Rosch was smirking as she pushed her D-Wheel faster. She could see the elevator ahead of her and knew she could get Sleipnir to jump the barrier with ease. Rosch would probably run the fence down and she counted on him doing that. She needed to rely on her Sense for this battle.

"Draw!" Rosch shouted. "I summon Samurai Sword Baron in Attack Mode!" [**ATK: 1600 **– DEF: 1200] A simple samurai appeared beside him with his sword drawn. "His effect! Once per turn I can change one defence position monster in Attack Mode! I choose your face down monster!" His samurai moved over to the card that was tailgating Lightning and flipped it over somehow, forcing the monster to reveal itself: a spellcaster-type adorned in a black trench coat and sporting a helmet that looked like a dragon's head.

"What good is it going to do?" Lightning barked back. "Once per turn Gemini Summoner cannot be destroyed by battle!"

[Gemini Summoner – **ATK: 1500**– DEF: 0]

"Doesn't mean I can't dent your life!" Rocsh spat. "Samurai Sword Baron! Attack Gemini Summoner!" he pointed forward as the holographic monster dashed forward, sword drawn. Lightning's summoner brought up a barrier to protect itself but Lightning took the splash damage anyway. Rosch's Sense didn't even tickle.

[Lightning – LP: 8000 **- - 7900**]

"I end my-"

"Gemini Summoner's effect activates!" Lightning interrupted him in the middle of his call. "Once per turn, during my opponent's end phase I can pay five hundred Life Points to Normal Summon or Set one Gemini Monster from my hand!"

"Of course!" Rosch realized something really obvious. "You changed decks, didn't you?" he asked, Lightning never answered.

[Lightning – LP: 7900 **- - 7400**]

"I summon Gemini Soldier in Attack Mode!" she called as a short humanoid monster appeared, adorned in light green armour and a white scarf that covered the bottom half of his face. [**ATK: 500**– DEF: 300] "My turn! Draw!" she pulled the card and took a look at her hand. Four cards in her hand and two of them were also Gemini monsters like the Gemini Soldier.

"Of course… there is a precise way to exploit this." Lightning muttered. "I activate my facedown card, Hand Destruction!" she said as the facedown card flipped up. It wasn't a Trap Card but a Quick-Play Spell Card that she had initially tried to play as a feint for later on in the game. "We both discard two cards from our hands and draw two new ones." She placed _Evocator Chevalier _and _Phoenix Gearfried_in the Graveyard and drew two new cards. "Gemini Monsters require a Second Summoning to gain their effects. I Second Summon Gemini Soldier!" with her call, a burst of wind exploded around the tiny soldier, his fighting spirit suddenly doubled.

"What good is a weak monster like that?" Rosch spat. "He's useless against my Samurai Sword Baron!"

He was right. She looked at her hand, she had several Spell Cards with unusual effects that she didn't know how to use properly and a _Knight of the Red Lotus_from earlier that also had abnormal Special Summon requirements.

"Once per turn, if Gemini Soldier should be destroyed by battle, he is not destroyed." Lightning said, remembering his effect once he was treated as an Effect Monster. "He is a leap of faith you need to take to bring out stronger comrades." She looked up. "Reverse Card open! Birthright! This card lets me Special Summon one Normal Monster from my Graveyard in Attack Mode!" she looked over her shoulder. "All Gemini Monsters in the Graveyard are treated as Normal Monsters." She closed her eyes for a second, trying to reach into the part of her lost memories that surrounded this deck of hers. She grabbed onto the one thing she needed for the powerful monster she wanted.

_"Arise!_ Phoenix Gearfried!" with her call, a burst of flame appeared at her side as a large knight adorned in ornamented white, gold, and red armour appeared at her side. He had a massive shield on his left arm, a broadsword in his right hand, and a white cape with gold trim and tassels that almost made it look like a bird's wing covering his back. [**ATK: 2800**– DEF: 2200]

"Battle! Phoenix Gearfried! Attack Samurai Sword Baron!" Lightning paused for a moment, the attack name bubbling up to her like a fountain. _"Helios Break!" _Her white knight charged forward, sword in hand to meet the waiting samurai. Their swords clashed for a mere moment before flamed erupted from the base of Phoenix Gearfried's sword, shattering Samurai Sword Baron's blade and destroying him. Lightning's Sense followed with the impact, throwing Rosch off course and onto uneven terrain. She gunned her D-Wheel.

[Rosh LP: 8000 **- - 6800**]

"Even with a new deck you clearly don't know how to use… you know how to make it work." Rosch sneered as he tried to regain control of his bike, Lightning ignored him.

"Gemini Warrior! Attack Rosch Directly! _Hidden Strike!_"

The little warrior didn't charge Rosch like his massive counterpart; instead he threw three darts at the Sanctum D-Wheel, all three of them imploding on impact and relying on Lightning's sense to make the damage as real as it could get. Something cracked slightly on the military issued D-Wheel.

[Rosch LP: 6800 **- - 6300**]

"Gemini Warrior's Effect activates! After Damage Calculation I can Special Summon one level four or lower Gemini Monster from my deck except himself. I summon Tuned Magician in Attack Mode!" [**ATK: 1800**– DEF: 1600] Another spellcaster-type appeared at her side, bringing her monster count up to four. Unlike Gemini Summoner, this one was dressed in green, white, and yellow garments and carried a silver staff in his hand.

"Since we're still in the Battle Phase my attack still continues! Gemini Summoner! Tuned Magician! Attack Rosch Directly!" she commanded as if to save time. The two spellcasters stood back to back and with a combination of wind and water magics, a massive gyser-like eruption exploded right underneath Rosch's D-Wheel, throwing him airborne.

"You bitch!" Rosch shouted as he angled his D-Wheel for landing. It was rough; Lightning knew that these D-Wheels were meant for the roads of Cocoon and not Gran Pulse, that's why breaking them was so easy.

[Rosch LP: 6300 **- - 3000**]

"I fight Gran Pulse style! If you can't take the heat go home!" Lightning shouted over her shoulder. "I set one card and end my turn!"

"A full field of strong monsters and I didn't think to pack in a _Lightning Vortex_." Rosch snarled as he drew a card. "Draw!" he smirked slightly. "First I'll get rid of that little dart in my side. I use Fissure! It destroys the monster with the lowest attack on the field!"

"_Smashing Ground _would have been a more effective card." Lightning commented as she discarded Gemini Warrior without much remorse. Rosch snarled, he had prepared for a deck that focused on Synchro Summoning, not a deck that focused on swarming out of the Graveyard with fairly strong monsters and that probably had extremely deadly effects when used right. He should have had his best card out by now but he wasn't counting on having his Samurai destroyed at all, not with the way she played in the last duel. He was on the defensive and he hated it.

"I set one monster and one card face down. I end my turn."

"Draw!" Lightning shouted at she looked over her hand again. Same cards as before, what good was Special Summoning a card from the Graveyard if it couldn't attack? She ignored that card and looked at the other spell card; Special Summon again, but it's returned to the grave again during her end phase. Useless. She ignored that too. Then she examined _Knight of the Red Lotus_but found she didn't have the requirements for that Special Summon and she was never a fan of Tribute Summons. There was another low level monster card that wouldn't work against Rosch, not with the field that she currently had. She looked back at her field, suddenly remembering why she had Special Summoned Tuned Magician.

"I Second Summon Tuned Magician!" Lightning shouted as the spellcaster flared up his wind-elemental magic as a single green ring, something usually seen in Synchro Summons, appeared around his form, floating and moving freely. "His effect, when he is Second Summoned he's treated as a Tuner Monster!" She pulled a card from her Extra Deck and realized she didn't have the requirements printed on the card she wanted to use. She took another glance at her hand. So that's what those Spell Cards were for! "Next I use the Spell Card Swing of Memories! I can bring back one Normal Monster from my Graveyard for this turn only! Evoactor Chevalier!" [**ATK: 1900**– DEF: 900] With her call, a knight, maybe a head and a half shorted than the massive Phoenix Gearfried, appeared; it was adorned in vibrant red armour with a red half skirt that looked similar to Phoenix's cape. Lightning knew that these two cards were related in appearance.

Lightning took a look at the white framed card in her hand, it wasn't the same one that had allowed her to choose her name but she was still afraid to use it, as if the moment it graced the field, everything would come back to her. No, she'd wait until she absolutely needed to use it. "I'm tuning my level four Gemini Evocator Chevalier to my level four Tuner Tuned Magician!" she called as the two monsters dashed forward. She paused for a second, no memories coming to her with the card in her hand. She gave it a second glance and then went with it.

_"From the ashes left behind, let smoke and fire herald your arrival!_ Synchro Summon!"Lightning roared as she played the card. _"Become the Eclipse!_ Black Brutdrago!" with that call and with the eruption of dark fire beside the glowing Phoenix Gearfried, a terrible looking black horned dragon appeared from the fire. It gave Rosch a single look before belting out a terrible roar. The black dragon was the direct opposite of the white knight beside it. [**ATK: 3000 – **DEF: 2600]

"Battle!"

"Trap Card!" Rosch shouted. "Threatening Roar! You cannot declare an Attack this turn!"

"I change Gemini Summoner to Defence Mode and end my turn." Lightning added as her spellcaster knelt down and took on monochromatic blue hues to show his position.

"Draw!" Rosch chuckled. "I'll start with the spell card, Hand Destruction! We discard our hands and draw new ones!" Both of them ditched their hands and drew three new cards. "Then Beiige, Vanguard of the Dark World's effect activates! If he's discarded to the Graveyard by a card effect I can Special Summon him!" with that, a zombie appeared on the field holding onto a lance. [**ATK: 1600 **– DEF: 1300] Lightning just narrowed her eyes.

"What kind of mishmash deck are you running?" she shot at him, but he ignored her.

"I follow up with the Spell Card, Mind Control! I can take control of one monster you control and in return it cannot attack or be Tributed! I choose your Gemini Summoner!" Lightning watched as her monster switched fields. "I Flip Summon the level three Tuner Flare Resonator and Normal Summon the level two Tuner Jutte Fighter!"

[Flare Resonator – **ATK: 300**– DEF: 1300]

[Jutte Fighter – **ATK: 700 **– DEF: 900]

"Shit…" Lightning snarled when she realized she should have Doubled Summon Phoenix Gearfired at the end of Rosch's last turn; amateur mistake, it would have given her two monsters back by now. It didn't help that she knew what he was trying to do. She looked at her new hand, then what she had played facedown; that would have to be her salvation.

"I use Mystical Space Typhoon on your face down card!"

Lightning discarded her card and looked up at Rosch. He was planning for a comeback; while his deck was a mess he had still managed to bring it together.

"Jutte Fighter's monster Effect! I can change one face up attack position monster you control to face up defence! I choose your Black Brutedrago!"

[Black Brutedrago - ATK: 3000 –** DEF: 2600**]

"Next I'm tuning your level four Gemini Summoner to my level two Tuner Jutte Fighter and my level four Beiige to my level three Tuner Flare Resonator!" he commanded as all four monsters launched forward. "Double Syncho Summon! _Appear now!_Goyo Guardian and Dark Highlander!" with that the two monsters appeared; the warrior-type before the fiend-type monster. "Flare Resonator's ability! When he's used for a Synchro Summon the summoned monster gains three hundred Attack Points!"

[Goyo Guardian – **ATK: 2800**– DEF: 2000]

[Dark Highlander – **ATK: **2800 - - **3100 **– DEF: 2300]

Lightning growled.

[Lightning – **LP: 7400**]

[Rocsh – **LP: 3000**]

"Battle! Darkland Highlander! Destory Phoenix Gearfried! _Death Pola-Slay!_" the two monsters clashed at the call, Phoenix trying to overpower Highlander, but the reaper won in the end, slaying the white knight.

[Lightning – LP: 7400 - - **7100**]

"Goyo Guardian! Attack Black Brutdrago! _Goyo Lariat!_" he shouted as the Guardian launched his weapon forward, spearing and shattering the dark dragon. Rosch's Sense was solid enough that Lightning felt the back of Sleipnir jump. She shook her head to rid herself of the daze before looking forward. The gate to the Gran Elevator was drawing near. "Goyo Guardian's effect! When he destroys a monster in battle I can Special Summon that monster on my side of the field in Defence mode!"

[Black Brutedrago - ATK: 3000** – DEF: 2600**]

"Black Brutedrago effect activates! When he is destroyed by battle I can Special Summon one Gemini Monster from my Graveyard and have him treated as an Effect Monster! I choose Evocator Chevalier!" she called out as the red armoured knight appeared beside her, his armour flaring with fire.

"Why didn't you bring back…" Rosch started wondering why she didn't bring back  
>Phoenix Gearfried, not that it mattered.<p>

[Evocator Chevalier – **ATK: 1900 **– DEF: 900]

"I end my turn!"

"Draw!" Lightning pulled out the card and noticed that it was titled _Big Bang Shot_. Her eyes narrowed as she read over Evocator's ability, then the Spell Card's effect; there had to be a reason why her past self would have included this in her deck, if she equipped it to her own monster and then used Evocator's ability, she'd lose a monster. Sighing she pulled another Spell Card from her hand, what should be a staple in everyone's decks.

"I use the Spell Card Monster Reborn!" Lightning shouted. "_Arise with the new dawn!_ Phoenix Gearfried!" [**ATK: 2800** – DEF: 2200] She looked at _Big Bang Shot_again, then at the field, trying to remember the purpose of this card.

_'Remember this Farron… coupling Big Bang Shot with Evocator Chevalier is excellent for spot control. Attach it to your opponent's monster and then use Evocator's ability. Not only do you remove that monster from play but you can destroy an additional card as well.'_

Lightning snapped out of it as quickly as she fell in, taking a look at the card in her hand. That was a memory she remembered, a legitimate memory. It didn't scare her because it didn't tell her who she once was, but only how to win this duel. She pulled _Big Bang Shot_from her hand and looked up, seeing that the fence to the Gran Elevator was just mere meters away. She placed the card back in her hand and pressed hard on the accelerator, shooting forward.

"What the hell are you-?" Rosch snapped when he saw Lightning take off, he looked up and saw what was going on, she was aiming for the elevator, just as he predicted. He watched with amazement as Lightning somehow managed to get her D-Wheel to jump over the five-foot fence and land perfectly on the ground without losing much speed. He just opted to ram the fence down; unaware of the damage his own D-Wheel was taking.

"I use the Equip Card Big Bang Shot! I equip it to Goyo Guardian!" Lightning shouted as she played the card. "It raises his attack by four hundred and allows him to cause piercing damage!"

[Goyo Guardian - ATK: 2800 - **3200**]

"Why would you strengthen my monster? Are you trying to lose?" Rosch laughed. Lightning smirked.

"I have over double your Life Points." She shot over her shoulder. "I don't think I'll be losing today. Face it Rosch, you're not a very good duelist." She gave his D-Wheel a once over; she could see a fault in his front tire as it fought to stay aligned. If she didn't even have to drain his Life Points now, a good _Helios Break_would be enough to destroy him. "I use a second Equip Card on Phoenix Gearfried, Divine Sword – Phoenix Blade! His attack raises by three hundred!"

[Phoenix Gearfried – ATK: 2800 - **3100**]

She fingered a Monster Card in her hand for a moment before deciding against it. "I use Evocator's Monster Effect! I can send one face-up Equip Card I control to the Graveyard to destroy one card you control! I send Big Bang Shot!" she watched as Evocator moved in front of the card's hologram and absorbed it, his left hand bursting aflame with a new power. "Big Bang Shot's secondary effect activates! When it's removed from the field it's equipped monster is removed from play!" Evocator Chevalier roared at Goyo Guardian just to provoke, the much larger warrior tried to fight back but the familiar removed-from-play-black-hole appeared behind the oriental warrior and consumed him.

"No! I had this duel under control! I was winning!" Rosch shouted. "How can you turn this around like so!"

"Evocator Chevalier! Show Black Brutdrago mercy and destroy him!" Lightning shouted as her knight charged forward. _"Sacred Balance!"_her knight destroyed the black dragon with his flaming fist, leaving Dark Highlander alone.

"Then I'll give you one last turn Rosch." Lightning smirked at the enraged man, the Gran Elevator getting closer and closer. She decided to let him suffer defeat by losing the race rather than the duel. "Battle! Phoenix Gearfried! Strike him down! _Helios Break!"_Lightning roared as her white knight moved swiftly to meet the death reaper head on. Their weapons clashed and Lightning's Sense flared. Rosch cried out at the impact, the heat and force of the impact tearing and searing his clothing. Eventually, Phoenix Gearfired broke through Dark Highlander's scythe and shattered the hologram; the knight was soon upon Rosch's D-Wheel but stopped, honourable in his actions before falling himself, for Phoenix and Highlander had the same attack points.

"Evocator Chevalier!" Lightning shouted. "Direct Attack! _Flamberge Strike!_" the smaller knight darted forward. That was the last thing Rosch saw.

The moment the sword came into contact with his D-Wheel, the front axle finally gave out at the impact. Like before, he was thrown off his bike and onto the ground. He had lost the duel. Standing back up, he swore at Lightning as she disappeared into the Gran Elevator. Sighing in defeat he looked skywards.

"That bitch… she knew I was gonna lose."

* * *

><p>She broke through the elevator and made it up to Cocoon. She kept driving for a bit before coming to a stop and taking off her helmet. Shaking out her hair, she looked upwards, eyes narrowing.<p>

"So Cocoon doesn't really have a night sky…" She looked back at her deck, Phoenix Gearfried and Evoactor Chevalier still on the playing field; their holograms long gone now after Rosch's D-Wheel had broken. She picked up Phoenix and took a better look at the card. Deep down she knew that once upon a time she had known all of these effects and how to play this deck proper. She had struggled to duel Rosch, it was luck that she had won. Sighing, she pulled another card from her Extra Deck, the same one she had decided her new name with.

"Is there a reason why this is reoccurring? That this name was in my Quickdraw deck and is reappearing here as well?"

Placing her Main Deck in the pouch attached to her belt and sliding her Extra Deck into the pocket of her jacket, she heard the sudden screech of a siren. Growling, she turned around slowly, her hand going for her gunblade. Foot soldiers surrounded her position. Seeing that she was outnumbered, she slowly raised her hands and placed them behind her head.

"Well… well… that was easier than I thought it was going to be." A large man walked forward. Lightning narrowed her eyes, not knowing who he was talking about. "So you're that Pulsian Rosch has been obsessing over the last few days." The man walked up to her, Lightning just closed her eyes, pointing her nose upward just a little bit. "Did you defeat him in a duel?"

"His D-Wheel broke so it was my win." Lightning snarled back, she knew the man was standing close to him.

"Black Wyvern certainly has odd friends…" he muttered before turning around. "Arrest her." He placed his hands on his hips. "Pulsians have no place on Cocoon. Your D-Wheel and deck will be seized and you'll be purged back to Pulse." He smirked as Lightning was forced down to the ground and cuffed. He slowly knelt down beside her.

"And don't even think of coming back with Black Wyvern to try and steal your stuff back… it might have worked the first time but it definitely won't work a second."

Lightning only stared at him as she was forced back up onto her feet, confused about what he was talking about.

_Who is Black Wyvern?_

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:<strong>_ I need help! I don't know much about how to run a solid Ice Barrier deck, can anyone give me some tips?

* * *

><p>"<em>Well, getting yah out was easier than I thought, I didn't even hafta break in!"<em>

_"Getting in isn't the problem; it's getting out with the stuff."_

_"This is why we're Ridin' Duelists, we don't need rules! We just need our Sense!"_

**Next Time: **_Power of Fellows – The Black Wyvern Duelist!_


	4. Power of Fellows

_Lieutenant Colonel Jihl Nabaat smiled softly to herself as she paced around the entrance to the Cocoon side of the Gran Elevator, located in the heart of Bresha. Yaag Rosch had already left for the ground level of Pulse while a second team she had collected waited for her orders. She gave them a simple look before looking down at the data. Claire Farron's data. With a small smirk on her face, she gave the Duel Monster card she had clipped to the corner of the datapad a short glance before looking up at her men._

_"I've told Yaag Rosch the same thing. He is going to lose his duel against the Quickdraw Duelist. So it is our job to arrest her when she breaks through the Gran Elevator. Arrest her on the spot, we don't know if she's working with Black Wyvern or not so we're not going to take any chances." She explained. "If the arrest of Quickdraw lures out Black Wyvern…" she took off her glasses and smiled. "The moment she breaks something, arrest her."_

_The men left, leaving her alone. Jihl smiled softly as she looked up and slowly turned around. "I know you're there, Black Wyvern."_

_"Don't try ta arrest me, I haven't done anything yet." The newcomer crossed her arms. Jihl was familiar with the appearance that went with this duelist. Tattered jeans tucked into brown leather boots, an embroidered royal blue sash tied around her waist. Tonight she wasn't wearing her battered leather jacket and had just opted to wear her cut off tank top, black arm braces on her forearms, and a pile of colourful bangles on her right wrist. A Duel Disk was strapped to her left arm, the glow of Crystal Momentum visible in the darkness. Jihl couldn't see a face in the darkness but she knew who this woman was: Black Wyvern._

_"You're planning something though, aren't you? Black Wyvern." Jihl spat, a laugh echoed in the empty air._

_"Not at all! I watch ya Jihl, how else am I always three steps ahead of ya?" the woman had an accented voice, she was clearly a full blooded Pulsian and not one of the many criminals Cocoon had purged over the years. "Quickdraw has done nothin' ta ya. There's no reason to treat her like a criminal. Arrest her if ya must, but don't detain her. Otherwise you'll find a nice large hole in that building you love so much."_

_Jihl narrowed her eyes while slowly reaching for the sabre on her belt; Black Wyvern was faster. Before Jihl could even clear her weapon, three dragons were surrounding the wild woman; all of them snarling as if they were real. Jihl gave up, deciding not to provoke the Duelist any further. Instead she decided to walk away, opening Claire Farron's file and deleting it._

_If she wasn't going to get what she wanted, no one else was. She knew exactly how she was going to get Quickdraw to participate in her little plan._

_The Farrons were not going to have a beautiful reunion._

* * *

><p>"Serah! Wait!"<p>

Serah turned around at the call of her name, smiling when she saw her friend and school rival, Aki Izayoi, running up to her. Serah couldn't help but chuckle softly as the red haired young woman stopped to catch her breath.

"Did you race around campus or something?"

"That's exactly what I did." Aki responded quickly. "There's something I wanna give you, as a congratulatory gift for beating me." She handed her a protected Duel Monster card face down. Serah took it with some confusion.

"What do you mean, beating you?" Serah tilted her head to the side. "Off the record," She looked around; the two of them were in a secluded area. "our scores are even."

"Yes yes." Aki waved that off. "If our blasted classmates heard that we'd be in some hot water. No, this is a gift for formally challenging me for the title, and winning." She smiled softly as Serah turned the card over, her eyes went wide.

"I... I can't accept this Aki. It belongs in your deck." She moved to hand the card back but Aki placed her hand over Serah's, stopping her.

"Only a handful were made." Aki smiled. "She's still in my deck; this is just another copy... no, I can't call it a copy. Each card is unique in its own way. I know this one can't support you the way mine supports me, but I'm sure you can find a home for it in your deck."

Serah took the card back and gave it a closer look, smiling softly.

"I'm sure I can make some adjustments." She hugged her friend. "Thank you."

* * *

><p><strong>Highway of Heroes<strong>

With the discovery of Crystal Momentum, Duel Monsters take the world by storm. But even then it's not fun and games. An unlikely group is brought together as something that seems so simple grows out of control. The battle within, begins.

**Ride 04: Power of Fellows – The Black Wyvern Duelist!**

* * *

><p>Lightning regretted not resisting the moment they had dragged her into the military facility. She could have taken them, she knew it. Slowly, she hung her head; the left side of her face still smarting from when they had carved the criminal marker into her skin. She slowly reached up to touch it; while she had not yet seen it herself she could feel it's general shape. It wasn't small like Maqui's but it wasn't as big as some of the larger ones she had seen on Gran Pulse. Maybe this plan of hers really was flawed for now, but at least she made it to Cocoon.<p>

"You were marked, but just like Black Wyvern, you cannot be tracked." Lightning looked up slowly when she saw a woman walk into the small confinement cell she was locked inside of. "Think of it as an act of mercy for those with no files." Lightning eyes went wide at the woman's words. She looked at the woman's chest, seeing the Lieutenant Colonel Nabaat nametag she was wearing.

"I have no file?" she asked slowly. "How is that possible?" Lightning suddenly stood up from her seat, Nabaat just raised her hand against her. "Look, there should be something on me. My last name is Farron and I was part of the Guardian Corps three years ago."

"We have no record of that." Nabaat said smoothly as she looked at Lightning. Lightning didn't say anything as Nabaat pushed the fringe of her hair aside to show the yellow marker against her pale skin; slowly she traced the jagged mark. "Funny, isn't it? You call yourself Lightning and the machine marks you the same way. It always finds a way to reflect the criminal's personality." Lightning pushed her back.

"I'm not a criminal; I came here to find out who I once was." Lightning sneered. "It's unfair that you mark people before you identify them."

"True, many people get misplaced in this world." She said slowly. "Those of Pulse judged before one gets to know them, those who are marked treated like trash because the Sanctum can't control themselves." She reached into the pocket of her jacket. "I work with my own agenda though." She pulled out a single Duel Monster card and handed it to Lightning, the pink haired woman took it but didn't look at it.

"So you're implying that you deleted my old file." Lightning sat back down as Nabaat turned to her, smiling her awful smile before chucking.

"I cannot answer that, nor can I just tell you who you once were. However there is one person who can tell you."

"If you say Black-"

"No, no…" Nabaat waved her off. "It's a Farron, the only Farron on Cocoon. If you are of the same family, well, then you'll learn." She moved towards the doorway. "You are free to go, Lightning, under the condition that you attend my little tournament in six months time. That card there will grant you access. I'll give you more information later." She grabbed the handle as Lightning was up on her feet again.

"Wait! What about the Farron?" she asked quickly, Nabaat just looked over her shoulder.

"I only know that she exists, nothing more. How you try to find her… that's up to you." She opened the door. "Your D-Wheel and Deck are Sanctum property, but I'm sure someone can help you with that. Your gunblade will be returned to you when you leave."

"One more question." Lightning started, the woman knew something. "Why are you helping me?"

"Simple really…. I have an ulterior motive."

* * *

><p>Black Wyvern smiled softly to herself as she leaned against the wall. She was going to give Jihl Nabaat a day with Quickdraw before starting up her usual game. She titled her head slowly to the side, changing the way the shadow hid her face just slightly. She cracked her left shoulder and stood up away from the wall. She still had eighteen hours to kill; she figured she could kill ten hours of that at the bar then another six sleeping. Dusting off the back of her pants, she started to walk away from the building when the doors opened. The grin never leaving, she turned around to see a pink haired woman walking out of the building.<p>

Deciding that her plans had now suddenly changed for the better, she walked up to her fellow Duelist, watching as she ran her hands over a sword, no, a gunblade. So this woman was also a fighter, she respected that. She decided to break the silence when she noticed that Quickdraw had yet to notice her.

"Well, getting ya out was easier than I thought." She crossed her arms, making her own Duel Disk apparent. "I didn't even hafta break in!"

Lightning looked up when she heard someone talking to her; she was far too caught up on checking her gunblade to make sure that the bitch Nabaat hadn't done anything to it. Standing before her was a dark-haired, tanned woman wearing an unusual combination of Gran Pulsian tribal clothing and dark motorcycle leathers. A black Duel Disk, one accented in purples and silvers, was strapped to her left arm. A duelist. Lightning slowly moved her gaze away from the deck and towards the grinning face of the Duelist. Her green eyes reflected some kind of amusement at Lightning's current situation.

Black Wyvern had a beauty mark under her right eye and also, like Lightning, she had a yellow criminal's mark on the left side of her face. Unlike Lightning's, which was jagged and anyone with a creative mind would say it looked like a thunderbolt, Black Wyvern's was three thin slashes across her cheek on a slight diagonal, as if she had been scarred by a wild animal. In a way, it matched the black wyvern head-like tattoo emblazoned on her left shoulder. That's what probably gave her the name.

"Black Wyvern I presume."

"Possibly, if you're the Quickdraw Duelist."

"I was, that torch has been handed to someone else now." Lightning spat. "Nabaat implied you could help me, so, can you help me?" she crossed her arms. "The woman is twisted; she gave me back my gunblade, a _weapon,_ but wouldn't give me back a deck of _forty playing cards. _Thankfully they didn't take my Extra Deck; they never really bothered to search me completely."

"Your Extra Deck is all yer gonna need for what we're doing." Black Wyvern started to walk away. Lightning didn't move, the Pulsian woman gave her a strange look. "Yeh comin' or not?"

"Depends..." Lightning crossed her arms. Black Wyvern somehow understood the unasked question.

"Oerba Yun Fang, ya can call me Fang." Fang grinned. "I was the one tha' threatened Jihl ya see. Told her I'd blow the buildin' sky high ta get ya outta there." She placed her hands behind her head and started walking away again, knowing Lighting would follow her. "What's your name Quickdraw?"

"Lightning Farron."

"What kind of deck do ya run now?" Fang asked idly as they moved further and further away from the building. Lightning wasn't daft, she knew Fang wasn't going to spill the plan right in front of the Sanctum building.

"Gemini now." Lightning looked away, trying to figure out where she was; there was a lake in the distance. "Phoenix Revival I think."

"Ya think?" Fang shot over her shoulder casually. Lightning turned to look at the back of her head.

"I don't know, I dusted that deck off yesterday and I still haven't looked at them all. I was forced into duelling with it blind. Now, I'm here." They rounded a corner to a black D-Wheel that was casually parked against the wall. Fang walked over to it, running her hand over it with affection. Lightning noticed it was decorated the same way her Duel Disk was. She watched as Fang reattached her Duel Disk, it was the first time Lightning had seen a hybrid Duel Disk being used. Sleipnir was equipped with one but she avoided Ground Duels, with no Sense they weren't as entertaining. It was the same for everyone on Gran Pulse. Fang sat down on her D-Wheel, not bothering to pull out a helmet from the storage compartment before turning to Lightning and patting the back of her seat.

"Well, come on then, unless you plan on walkin'." Fang reached back and patted to the back of her seat. "Black Zero doesn't bite."

"Black Zero?" Lightning asked, a little sceptical, Fang sighed.

"It was Zero or Sin... the ol' man said Sin sounded too evil." She shrugged her shoulder. "Wha, you didn't name yer D-Wheel?"

"It's named, but it's pointless to tell you right now." Lightning gingerly sat down behind Fang. The tanned woman grinned once more before kicking her bike to life and the two of them took off to the outskirts of Bresha.

* * *

><p>The ride wasn't as long as Lightning thought it was going to be. She knew she had been to Bresha before, the surroundings were familiar to her, but she couldn't remember why or when. Fang must have known this because she was still wearing that damnable grin of hers when they got off the D-Wheel. Lightning looked up at the sky, it was her first time seeing the daylight. Just faintly, she could see the upper shell of Cocoon in the sky.<p>

"First time here eh?" Fang asked her. "A lot of newcomers like to stare in awe." Lightning shook her head.

"I used to be a Cocoonian until three years ago." She turned to the other duelist. "Something happened, I ended up on Gran Pulse with my memory gone, I started a new life there."

"Well, that makes ya Pulsian in my books." Fang slapped her hard on the back. Lightning stumbled slightly, glaring at Fang.

"So, how exactly are we going to get my stuff back?" She asked quickly, trying to change the subject. Fang quickly lead Lightning into an apartment building. "I was told you've done it once before."

"It's a livin'." Fang explained as she avoided the elevator and went for the stairs. "It's the only reason why I tend ta hang around here. Everything that the Sanctum seizes ends up here." They made it up to the third floor and Fang started to count the doors. The writing system here was different than the one on Gran Pulse. Lightning could make out some of it but was having a hard time trying to understand it. She figured Fang couldn't read it either. "I work with the orphanage down on Gran Pulse, so I break in, steal anything the kids would like, cards mostly, and then smuggle them back down to Gran Pulse." She found the door she was looking for and knocked on it. "How ya got up here is the same way I travel, they don't watch the elevator overnight nor do they have a proper security system, they're too confident. You jus' got unlucky because of Rosch and Nabaat. They were waitin' fer ya."

The door opened and it was a little boy with skin darker than Fang and curly black hair. He smiled brightly when he saw Fang and quickly ran away from the door.

"Daddy! Fangy's here!"

"Fangy?" Lightning asked Fang, brow raised, the woman shrugged.

"Better than what they call me at the orphanage." She answered as they waited for a bit, a much older man appeared but looked similar to the young boy, the father Lightning assumed, biological, not adoptive.

"Aww man Fang." The man groaned when he laid his eyes down on Lightning. "What did ya get yourself into now?"

"I didn't get myself into anything Old Man." Fang snapped as she pushed the door open. "I need your help though. I gotta get her into the Storage Facility." The older man looked at Lightning before sighing in defeat.

"Sazh Katzroy at your service." He held his hand out, Lightning took it.

"Lightning Farron." She answered quickly, Sazh gave her a closer look, but whatever it was he waved it off. "I came to Cocoon for personal reasons and the Sanctum interfered. I need to get my equipment back. If you can help me with this I'll do my best to return the favour."

"Nah, its fine," Sazh waved her off, "Fang's a good girl, they've never been able to trace her back to me." He turned to Lightning. "Although you, you seem a little different." He crossed his arms at Lightning. "Upon first glance I thought you were just a Cocoonian, but I can see it in your voice, you just got a hint of an accent, you're a Pulsian aren't you?"

"In a weird way, I am." Lightning responded, she had never noticed herself, although she never had someone to point it out to her. "Long story."

"Anyway." Sazh turned away from the women; Lightning had finally noticed that his son had disappeared altogether. "Getting in isn't the problem, it's getting out with the stuff." He told her. "Give me a couple hours, get some shuteye. I'll have something for you." Without much as a second glance he disappeared into a different room of the small apartment, leaving Fang and Lightning at the front door. Lightning flashed Fang a hopeless look for a moment.

Fang chuckled and disappeared, knowing the apartment as well. Lightning followed her finding herself in a kitchen; Fang already had her head in the fridge. She sat down at the table and pulled out her Extra Deck, it was small, only sporting four different monster cards. Fang walked over to her, a small one litre milk carton in hand. Lightning didn't see the tanned woman reach into her pocket before placing two cards face down on the table; Lightning took them and gave them a look. One was a Synchro Monster and the other was a support card. She looked up at Fang confused; this woman only knew her archetype and had never seen her duel, yet here she was giving her cards?

"Wouldn't these cards fit better in your deck?" Lightning asked her. Fang finished off the milk, the tanned woman gave the small carton a dirty look before adventuring back into the fridge. "I run mostly warriors." Fang didn't answer anything until she stepped away from the fridge a bag of milk in her hands.

"He listened ta me this time." she set the bag down on the counter and started to go through the drawers before returning her verbal attention to Lightning. "Yes and no. I mean I can easily fit him in. But he'll probably do better off with ya. I got this gut feelin'." she pulled out a milk jug and turned to Lightning with a grin. "He'll one of those rare cards, only a handful of 'em made, and I bet he'll be more at home in a Phoenix Gearfried deck rather than a Black Wyvern deck.

"How did you know?"

"He's advertised as the leader of 'em Gemini group." Fang explained adage slid the bag milk into the jug and slammed it against the counter for good measure before searching her pockets. But that one Synchro Monster ya got there. Not Black Brutedrago. Tha' other one. That one there looks like the real leader, and probably the one to bust yer D-Wheel out too." she had pulled out a Swiss Army Knife and had used the blade to cut the corner of the bag. With a glass seemingly produced from nowhere Fang was enjoying yet another serving of white milk.

"What is the plan anyway?" Lightning asked quickly. Fang placed the glass down on the counter, content with herself before going through the cupboards.

"Nap if ya want, I'm gonna make food. Sazh will finish his thing in a few hours." Fang explained quickly and roughly. "Tonight we'll just waltz right into the Storage Facility, get your deck and D-Wheel back. I'll steal some cards for the children back home. We split ways, end of story." She had a frying pan out and half a kilogram of bacon; Lightning looked down at the table before reaching into her pocket and pulling out the card Jihl had given her. She slowly turned it around to see the front.

_Checkered Flag of Glory._

It was a Parallel Rare card, a type of print only used for promotional reasons. This tournament that Jihl was speaking off was clearly well organized, especially if it required headhunting. She sat it out on the table and spread out her Extra Deck of now five cards. This selection wouldn't be what most people would find in a deck such as hers.

"Here." Fang placed a loaded plate of bacon on the table and sat down next to Lightning. She gave the cards a once over and plucked one of them from the table along with a piece of bacon before leaning back in her seat. Lightning watched as Fang's eye scanned the card over, her eyes narrowing. She picked up another card, same expression.

"I've never seen these two before." She explained, Lightning folded her arms in response. "The way these two read, they're like my aces." She looked at Lightning. "And I know those are one of a kind, they were printed around the dawn of Crystal Reactors fifteen years ago." She saw the lost look on Lightning's face then remember the lack of basic memories the woman had. "I guess you don't know." She took another piece of bacon. "After Cocoon fell fifty years ago they lost their main source of power, the Fal'Cie. For some unexplainable reason all the Fal'Cie of Cocoon just fell dormant, the crystal pillar that supports Cocoon in the sky was just some unexplained miracle that happened." She never looked away from Lightning, the pink haired woman wasn't looking at her, but Fang knew she was taking it all in.

"Power began to fall into a decline; Cocoon was no longer able to support its growing population with fewer resources; so that's when they decided to split their population. Cocoon began to purge their criminals and low income families onto Gran Pulse."

"I guess you true blooded Pulsians weren't pleased about it." Lightning joked idly, finally giving in and taking some of the bacon for herself. Salty, she smiled softly, thankful that Fang wasn't one of those 'everything needs less salt' kind of people like Maqui.

"I'm not really sure, I think at first they were, the ones centered near the pillar. I'm from Oerba, my village is off in its own little world." She waved it off inhaling a couple more strips of bacon; between the two of them the plate would be empty soon. Lightning wanted to ask Fang why she left Oerba but she felt that that would be a story for a different time, if this unusual friendship would continue. Lightning had hardly known this woman for a couple hours now and already she felt she could trust her to have her back if needed. "I heard it was rough at first, but the purged citizens of Cocoon offered to trade their knowledge of Cocoonian tech and other means for survival. Gran Pulse runs mostly on a trade system rather than commerce so they were accepted gratefully."

"I made use of that system." Lightning commented. "Once my memories about my tech abilities came back, Maqui and I ran the local repair shop. Lenora's Garage."

"That was you?" Fang grinned suddenly. "Man, I shop through you guys all the time when I was on Gran Pulse." She cracked her neck once before continuing her little tale. "So 'bout fifteen years ago they decided they needed to find some kinda renewable energy source for Cocoon. That's when they came up with the Crystal Reactors; they thought that would get Cocoon through. Course that only lasted a decade to they started to research something new."

"So they came up with the Crystal Momentum." Lightning threw in, Fang nodded. "But what does that have to do with the cards?" she held up her two unique ones.

"They were printed fifteen years ago, like I said, to celebrate the Crystal Reactors. They printed off just a handful of unique cards and gave them out to some rather important people; I don't know if there is an important reason or not. I don't know how you ended up with yours, but the Elder at my village was given the ones I have, they go hand in hand you see. So when I told them I was leaving Oerba..." she paused for a moment. "This is getting too personal." She ran her hand through her hair. "You were probably given those cards by your mother or father if they were important. Seeing the type they are I wouldn't be surprised if it has something to do with the military."

"Military huh?" Lightning muttered as she looked at the cards. "Makes sense, in its own weird way." She muttered before pocketing them. "Look I'm just going to go take a nap." She stood up slowly; Fang was back in the cupboards looking for more food. "Just, wake me up later." She walked away, leaving Fang alone in the kitchen.

"I'll do that."

* * *

><p>Lightning found herself being woken up several hours later by Sazh's son. She opened her eyes slowly to see the cheery smile of the young boy. Lightning slowly sat up as the boy climbed up onto the couch beside her. Lightning stretched out slightly she could see Fang sprawled out on the recliner in the corner of the room, still asleep. She looked back at the boy; it didn't seem that he had woken her up to tell her something important.<p>

"My name's Dajh! What's your name miss?" he asked, excitedly, Lightning yawned softly before settling back down.

"Lightning."

"That's a cool name! I wish my name was cool like yours and Fangy's!" he bounced up and down the couch. "Are you a Duelist too? I wanna be a Duelist too when I grow up!" the boy was excited, it put a smile on Lightning's face. She ruffled his hair.

"So is there something you want to do?" she asked, Dajh shook his head.

"Daddy wanted me to wake you up, he wanted me to give you this." He handed her an ID card, Lightning took it, and somehow Sazh had managed to find her mugshot from the Sanctum's database, her criminal marker clear on her face. The image was manipulated just enough that one couldn't tell it was a prison shot. "He said it should work just fine!" he grinned. "So are you joining Fangy in her 'upset Nabaat' prank?"

"Yeah, I am." Lightning smiled, Dajh cheered once before running up, to Fang, jumping on her causing to jump, the chair rocking back slightly before slamming against the ground.

"Oi!" Fang shouted when the boy jumped up on her, Dajh laughed loudly.

"Aww! No more sleepy time! Time to pull prank!" he jeered. "Daddy is asleep though! Gotta be shhh!" he lowered his voice as he spoke; Fang patted him on the head once before lifting him off her lap.

"Right then." She looked outside, the sun was starting to set; it was almost closing time. "Then we're going to be heading off then. Make sure your homework is done, okay?" The little boy nodded before turning to Lightning.

"Daddy also said your D-Wheel is on the top floor too! I don't know why it would be there; don't they keep cars in the basement?" he scampered off leaving Fang chuckling and shaking her head. Lightning's smile didn't disappear until Fang was looming over her.

"So what's your name?"

"You know my name."

"No no... on the ID card." Fang pulled out hers from her pocket. Lightning saw that it was battered and well used, _Rachel Robinson_ written in as her fake name. Lightning pulled out her own card and saw _Ali Hillis_on hers. Farron shook her head; Sazh put too much thought into these. She looked back to Fang but saw that the woman had disappeared again, only to return with a duffle bag before she chucked it at Lightning's feet. "I packed everything we needed while you were asleep; I got the plan right here." She tapped the side of her head. "There is a change of clothes in there; hurry up now, time's tickin'."

Lightning glared at Fang once before snatching the back up and stalking off.

* * *

><p>Slipping into the building was easy. With her haired pulled up into a hat and a bandage slapped over her mark, Lightning easily slipped into the Sanctum building wearing an old Guardian Corp uniform. It was a loose fit but it got her in as she slipped through the people dressed in business suits and lab coats. She quickly glanced over her shoulder, Fang said she'd be following but she wasn't taking the same route. Lightning assumed it was because she wanted to sneak Black Zero in too.<p>

Lightning looked around the building, trying her best not to stand out. It seemed that everyone was going home, but she couldn't shake this feeling that Jihl, if not Rosch, also knew that she and Fang would be up to something this evening. Maybe she should have waited to get Sleipnir back, throw them in for a loop, but it was too late now, and she wanted her D-Wheel back. She slipped into the women's washroom to change out of the ill fitting uniform back into her own. It would have been smarter to stay in, but she was going to try it anyway. Making sure the uniform hat was still on her head and her Corporal pauldron she wore on Gran Pulse was replaced with one of the Sergeant ones she snuck in with. Satisfied that snapped into her jacket properly she looked at herself in the mirror.

"It almost seems... fitting." Lightning told her reflection. "If I was still a soldier." She turned away, ripping the bandage off her face before leaving the room. The building was dark now, her timing was perfect, and she missed a sentry bot by just seconds before she ran down the hallway the other way. She didn't know the layout of the building, but if little Dajh said her D-Wheel was in the top floor, then the top floor would be the best to start. She started the trek up the stairs; pulling out a phone that Fang has supplied her. Dialling her number she brought it up to her ear.

_"Whaddup Sunshine?"_

"Sunshine?" Lightning spat back, she could hear Fang's chuckle on the other side.

_"Well, ya ain't Quickdraw anymore, so I thought..."_

"Phoenix will work, just fine."

_"Party Pooper."_ Fang grumbled. _"Anyway I'll meet ya up at the storage unit after I find the service elevator; I'm bringing Black Zero up. Knowing that bitch Nabaat she's got something planned."_

"So you want to be able to use your Sense." Lightning responded, Fang's following laughter just irked her.

_"Lightning, love... I don't need my D-Wheel to use my Sense; it's much more than reckless speeding that people tend to believe. Maybe I'll show you one day, our little secret, kay?" _Lightning groaned, knowing that the woman was flirting with her. Farron found herself standing in front of a large door, this had to be it.

"I"m here." Lightning closed the phone and swiped the ID card by the door. Slowly the doors started to open as she stepped backwards. In the background she could hear the hum of a D-Wheel as Fang appeared beside her upon Black Zero.

"Perfect timing!" the Pulsian woman jeered, Lightning rolled her eyes.

"You're insane."

"That's what's makes me cooler." Fang jumped off her motorcycle and decided to walk it inside the storage area beside Lightning as they searched for her D-Wheel. "So, what am I looking for?"

"A white D-Wheel, you'll probably know it when you see it."

"Like the one up there?" Fang pointed up on the top shelf towards the back of the room, Lightning narrowed her eyes. Without a doubt, that was Sleipnir up there. "Blasted Nabaat, it's a trap."

"Not going to stop me." Lightning muttered as she ran towards her bike. Fang shrugged her shoulders and got back up on her D-Wheel, starting the engine up and slowly making her way over, her gut telling her that they were in trouble. She watched as the caped duelist climbed her way up to the D-Wheel. She could hear Lightning's sound of joy as her deck was recovered and Wrist Dealer was snapped on her arm.

Then the spotlights flared up at her location.

"Nabaat was right." Lightning turned around at the sound of Rosch's voice, there, with another Sanctum duelist and probably several lackeys the silver haired man stood. "I gotta thank my friend Ushio here for helping me set this up. I'd figure I'd catch you, but not Black Wyvern as well.

"Piss off Rosch." Lightning snarled as she threw her helmet on her head and fired up the Crystal Momentum of her D-Wheel. Slepinir whined as she jumped on, the two of them riding off the top shelf and back onto the ground where Fang was waiting.

"Ushio!" Rosch yelled as he scrambled for his own D-Wheel.

"Close the doors! Block them off!" Ushio roared, Fang snarled as she saw the door they had entered through began to close. "Do whatever you must to have them abide the law!" was his final roar before he started to chase after them as well. Fang laughed as activated her dashboard.

"This is why we're Ridin' Duelists, we don't need rules! We just need our Sense!" she pulled a card from her Extra Deck. Already the hidden riot guards were trying to create a barrier to stop her and Lightning. Fang looked over beside her as Lightning had also drawn a card.

_"Emerge from the Midnight Void! Come forth! Leveler of Ancient Lands!" _Fang roared as she threw the card down on her dashboard. _"Shoulder the Sky!_Bahamut! Sire of the Skies!"

A massive mechanical black dragon appeared behind her D-Wheel. Lightning watched as the silver armoured head of the dragon bowed down as he crossed his arms in front of him, purple claws appeared and glowed before the arms were thrown back, large purple energy wings burst from Bahamut's back as he let loose a massive roar that shook the building.

_"Arise with the new dawn!_Phoenix Gearfired!"Lightning followed up as she played the white knight. Fang shot her a look of disappointment but Lightning just shook her head, unable to play that card, not right now.

"Your weak Sense won't be enough to stop all of us!" Ushio shouted but Fang laughed.

"Have ya forgotten who I am?" Fang roared back. "I'm the Black Wyvern Duelist! Bahamut! Blast them away! _Umbral Rise!" _she threw her hand forward as Bahamut flew ahead, tearing at the guards and sending them flying, giving Lightning a clear shot at the blocked door. "Lightnin'!" she shouted.

"If I can break D-Wheels, I certainly can break this tin door down." Lightning told herself. "_Helios Break!" _she commanded as Phoenix Gearfried shattered through the doorway with his sword. Fang's cry of triumph was followed by Bahamut's roar of approval as they continued through the building. Lightning following Fang; Farron quickly looked over her shoulder to see that both Rosch and Ushio were following them. She grounded her teeth together when she saw they were both drawing cards.

"Fang!"

"As long as we don't give a challenge we'll be fine!"

"Appear! Dark Highlander!" Rosh roared as his ace appeared beside him.

"X-Saber Urbellum!" Ushio shouted as the masked X-Saber Synchro monster appeared beside him, with silent commands they both charged after Bahamut and Phoenix Gearfried. With this not being a formal duel attack levels are not taken into account so the beasts duelled each other needlessly.

"Lightning!" Fang shouted back at the other woman. "How good are you at breaking things?" Lightning responded with a smirk as Fang pulled out another card. "Then let the mayhem begin! _Darkened gales! Become the wings that shatter darkened memories!_Black Wyvern – Silverwind the Ascendant!" Fang called out as she summoned another monster, it was another humanoid shaped dragon-type Synchro Monster. He was much smaller than Bahamut and dressed in silver and black armour of a dragon, a full faced black dragon's helmet upon his head. A dragoon.

_"From the ashes left behind, let smoke and fire herald your arrival!"_ Lightning chanted as she pulled out another card. _"Become the Eclipse!_Black Brutedrago!"

"Hey Lightnin'." Fang called out again, Lightning turned to look at the other woman. "I think when this is all done 'n over. I'll need a partner. Ya interested?" she smirked that smirk of hers. Lightning smiled back.

"I think I'll like that."

"Then let's end this and get outta here." She sped up, Lightning following her. "Silverwind!"

"Black Brutedrago!" Lightning shouted to follow Fang's actions, the new partners smirked in unison.

"Direct Attack!" they shouted at the same time, the following explosion destroyed Ushio's and Rosch's monsters, allowing Bahamut and Phoenix Gearfried to fly free.

"Tag Duel Mode! Set On!" Fang shouted, her D-Wheel hummed as it set the field, capturing all four D-Wheelers. Lightning looked at her.

"Are you certain?" she asked the Black Wyvern Duelist, Fang shrugged.

"Not really, I trust you can figure something out." Her smile put Lightning at ease as the playing field levelled out, their monsters disappeared. The two Sanctum troopers doing their best to follow the fleeing duelists. "Ready?"

_"Riding Duel!"_Lightning shouted, the other three followed her call.

_"ACCELERATION!"_

* * *

><p><em>"I don't care who wins, as long as we make it a duel that even Farron would be proud of."<em>

_"Become the path its light shines upon! Synchro Summon!"_

_"You've heard the stories about the Skeleton Knight, haven't you?"_

**Next Time**_ The New Quickdraw – Lightning Warrior vs Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier!_


	5. The New Quickdraw

"_Lightnin'! Don't let these creeps get ta ya! I trust ya with my cards!" Fang shouted at her partner the two of them raced through the Sanctum building, caught up in a Tag Duel with Yaag Rosch and his partner, Tetsu Ushio. If the aid of Fang's ability to quickly swarm from the hand with the Black Wyverns and Lightning's ability to swarm from the graveyard the two Sanctum Duelists stood no chance against them. Rosch's Dark Highlander proved difficult for Fang to get her Synchro Monsters out Lightning was able to rid the game of him with her little Spot Removal trick. Both Fang's and Rosch's hands were exhausted; Ushio had just summoned Goyo Guardian on his last turn and had stolen Lightning's Evocator Chevalier away from her. Lightning wasn't sure if there was a second copy of the red knight in her deck or not._

_[Goyo Guardian – __**ATK: 2800**__ – DEF: 2000]_

_[Evocator Chevalier – __ATK: 1900__– __**DEF: 900**__]_

"_Draw!" Lightning shouted as she pulled the card from her deck. She looked at the card then their shared field. "Fang, I don't know what to do!" Lightning called back to her new partner. "I can't pull anything off!"_

"_Like I said, I trust ya with my cards." Fang reassured her as Lightning looked back over their field._

_[Black Wyvern – Zephyros the Elite – __**ATK: 1600**__ – DEF: 1000]_

_[Gemini Soldier – ATK: 500 – __**DEF: 300**__]_

_She was peeved that she was having troubles keeping her Geminis out on the field, but after Rosch and Ushio had thrown Fang out into a loop after she had emptied out her hand they had focused on the Geminis, stopping Lightning from being able to Second Summoning them. Phoenix Gearfired was removed from play with a well placed Bottomless Trap Hole and Lightning was never given a chance to build a proper presence on the field because Fang didn't know how to support them, just like she couldn't support the Black Wyverns, they were clashing forces right now, unable to resonate properly. But Lightning had this feeling; there was a reason why Fang chose to summon Gemini Soldier over a stronger, Level Four Gemini Monster with the destroyed Supervise effect when Ushio took Evocator away from her._

_Then it clued in with Lightning. Fang choosing Gemini Soldier over her other Geminis in the Graveyard was a message. Lightning quickly pulled up the information on face down card Fang had played on her last turn on her dashboard. Wide-eyed she looked over at Fang who grinned back. Nodding Lightning pulled a card from her hand._

"_I use the Spell Card; Swing of Memories!" she declared as she played it. "It allows me to Special Summon one Normal Monster from my Graveyard, it will be destroyed during the End Phase of this turn. Arise! Blazewing Butterfly!" with her call a butterfly with wings made of fire appeared beside her._

_[Blazewing Butterfly – __**ATK: 1500**__ – DEF: 1500]_

"_Reverse Card Open!" Lightning continued as the Trap Card near Fang's Black Zero flipped over. "Blackback! This card allows me to select one Black Wyvern monster with two thousand or less Attack Points from the Graveyard and Special Summon it! I cannot Normal Summon or Set this turn! Arise! Black Wyvern! Mistral the Silver Shield!" Fang chuckled as a small black dragon appeared beside her, his face and chest covered in silver armour._

_[Black Wyvern – Mistral the Silver Shield – __**ATK: 100**__ – DEF: 1800]_

"_Even better than what I had hoped for Lightnin'." Fang chuckled as the small black dragon darted forward, annoying Ushio's Goyo Guardian._

"_I'm Tuning my Level Four Blazewing Butterfly and my Level Two Gemini Soldier to Fang's Level Two Tuner Monster Mistral!" Lightning shouted as she pulled a card from her Extra Deck. With Goyo Guardian's power she couldn't hold back, despite the fact she didn't want to use this card. She gave the image a single glance before chanting._

"_From the darkness of the storm, let thunder herald your arrival! Synchro Summon!"_

Serah Farron woke up with a jolt. Eyes wide and her breathing ragged. That dream, it felt so real. As if she was there, watching the emotions, feeling the tension of the Sense. Slowly she sat up before drawing her knees close to her chest. That dream couldn't have been real, no, it was impossible. But that woman, the one upon the white D-Wheel, the one called Lightning, she felt so familiar, like…

"Claire is dead."She spoke aloud to reassure herself. She closed her eyes and pressed her forehead against her knees, feeling the tears bubbling up slowly. "Oh Claire, I wish you were here with me." She whispered softly as she looked up over at her bedside table, her deck had been knocked over in her sleep. She could see Chevalier de Fleur and Black Rose Dragon looking back at her, the two of them covering the Checkered Flag of Glory card Nabaat had given her not too long ago. She moved to pick them up; Chevalier de Fleur slipped from her hand and fell to the ground again, falling out of its sleeve. Something didn't seem right; there was a second card behind her.

"Impossible." Serah breathed out as she looked at the new card. She never knew it was there, the card was never removed from the sleeve it was given to her by Claire, she wasn't aware that a second card was slipped in behind Chevalier de Fleur and it was a wonder that her D-Wheel and Duel Disk never read the card wrong. Her eyes darted back and forth at the card, for some reason a new feeling of hope in bubbling up, Claire was still with her. "I never knew she was one of a kind…" she smiled softly. "Thank you, Sis."

* * *

><p><strong>Highway of Heroes<strong>

With the discovery of Crystal Momentum, Duel Monsters take the world by storm. But even then it's not fun and games. An unlikely group is brought together as something that seems so simple grows out of control. The battle within, begins.

**Ride 05: The New Quickdraw – Lightning Warrior vs Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier!**

* * *

><p>One month.<p>

That's how long it has been.

Noel Kriess gave his deck a look before adjusting his helmet. Slowly his frown turned into a grin as he looked skywards. Today was the day, giving his D-Wheel its first trial run, bringing him one step closer to finding Lightning. He placed his hand over the deck Lightning had giving him. He had gotten used to duelling with her cards but this would be his first Riding Duel. Snow had volunteered to be his first opponent to test out his D-Wheel whom he had affectionately began to call _Historia_. This one wasn't like Snow's _Shiva_ or Lightning's _Slepinir_ that had their own unique appearances that reflected their given names. Historia was still a basic model not yet upgraded but Noel figured it would be enough to get him to Cocoon and find Lightning.

"You ready Noel?" Snow grinned beside him, sitting on top of Shiva. Noel just chuckled; Snow had just recently acquired a new deck. A couple weeks ago a Pulsian woman had swung by; Maqui apparently knew the woman but wouldn't tell her who she was, some kind of agreement. She had delivered the deck and a couple other cards meant for a Synchron Deck. Noel knew that this was a message from Lightning. That she had made it to Cocoon and was in good hands.

"A Half Point Duel, right?" Noel asked as he looked over at Snow. "Why, don't think you can handle a full duel?"

"I just don't think it's fair." Snow chuckled. "This is your first Riding Duel. Farron was the same way you know; her first Riding Duel was a Half Point. It's harder trying to drive and duel at the same time."

"Right…" Noel looked over at his dashboard. There was an Auto-Pilot AI program out there for the D-Wheels but in turn they weakened the Duelist's Sense. Only recreational Duelists on Cocoon used it, so he had heard. "I've beaten you in Ground Duels before Snow." He added. "So you think the moment I'm on a motorcycle it's going to up your chances of winning?"

"Maybe!" Snow shouted back. "My Sense is more refined than yours!"

"_CAN YOU START THE DUEL ALREADY?"_

Maqui's face suddenly appeared on their dashboard his face angered to a point it was humourous. The two boys bit back a chuckle as they turned to their D-Wheel and revved up the engine.

"Alright alright, calm down." Snow chuckled as he lowered the visor to his helmet, Noel doing the same.

"_Half of the town is here to watch this duel! Ice Barrier versus Quickdraw! Come on already!"_

"We hear you." Noel shook his head as Maqui's face disappeared from his display. "Just so you know Snow. I don't care who wins, as long as we make it a duel that even Farron would be proud of_._"

"The feeling is mutual."

"Riding Duel!"

"_ACCELERATION!"_

And they were off, the two of them going neck to neck for the first bend and ultimately the first turn. Noel drew his hand as Snow did the same. Snow, being the more experienced cyclist had the lead but was taking a wide turn, Noel pressed down on his accelerator and slid just between Snow and the wall of a building just edging for the first turn but he nearly lost control and was forced to decelerate giving Snow the first turn.

"Is that all you got?" Snow taunted. "Draw!"

[Snow Villers – **Life Points: 4000**]

[Noel Kriess – **Life Points: 4000**]

"I set one Monster in Defence Mode and end my turn." Snow declared swiftly and suddenly as he played a card. Noel frowned, he knew Snow's deck was still in the works and lacked several trap cards.

"Boring!" Noel shot back. "Draw!" he pulled the card and smiled to himself, every time he saw this card it reminded him of Lightning and just how much he missed her. "By discarding one card from my hand I can Special Summon Quickdraw Synchron!" The familiar cowboy styled machine appeared beside him, the style of the Quickdraw Duelist.

[Quickdraw Synchron – **ATK: 700 **–DEF: 1400]

"Because I sent Dandylion to the Graveyard I can Special Summon two level one Fluff Tokens onto my side of the field in Defence Position. They neither have attack nor defence points." Noel declared as two angry looking Fluff Tokens appeared beside Quickdraw. "Now I'm tunning my two level one tokens to my level five Quickdraw Synchron!" he shouted as a roulette of cards appeared before the Synchron as he pulled out his gun. With a single shot he fired at a card and it flipped over to reveal the image of Junk Synchron before he darted forward, forming into the five synchro rings.

"_Clustering roars turns into an echoing arrow which tears through the skies!"_ Noel shouted out his chant. _"Become the path its light shines upon!_ Synchro Summon!_ Show yourself!_ Junk Archer!" he finished as the orange armoured archer appeared beside his D-Wheel in a flourish. Snow growled.

[Junk Archer – **ATK: 2300 **– DEF: 2000]

"Synchro Summoning on your first turn, that's Farron's style."

"It's my style now." Noel shot back. "Junk Archer ability activates! Once per turn I can remove one of your monsters from play! I choose your face down monster! _Dimensional Shot!_"At his call the archer fired an arrow at Snow's facedown card, removing it from play. "Battle! Junk Archer! Attack Snow Directly! _Scrap Arrow!_" His archer flew forward and fired at Snow, he moved to the side just so the arrow would miss him, but Noel's developing Sense still left a dent in the beaten road of Gran Pulse.

[Snow – LP: 4000 – **1700**]

"I end my turn!" Noel shouted. "With that your face down monster returns!" and with a flourish of dark energy the card returned in front of Snow's D-Wheel.

"Draw!" Snow pulled the top card from his Deck and smiled. "I Flip Summon Pilgrim of the Ice Barrier!" he shouted as the card flipped over revealing the Ice Barrier warrior in a prayer-like stance. "Then I Summon Dewdark of the Ice Barrier!" with that call the ninja warrior appeared beside his D-Wheel. "I'm tunning m level four Pilgrim to my level two Tuner Dewdark!" he pressed on his gas to move forward as his Tuner broke apart into the green Synchro Rings.

_A Hero's Will will clear the field! Let courage become the ultimate guard! _Synchro Summon! _Cool 'em off! _Brionac! Dragon of the Ice Barrier!" Snow shouted as his level six Synchro Monster; a white dragon made of ice, appeared beside him with a roar.

[Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier – **ATK: 2300 **– DEF: 1400]

"Brionac's ability activates! By discarding cards from my hand I can return as many cards on the field to the hand! I discard one card to return Junk Archer to the Extra Deck!" he grinned as Noel's field was wiped clear.

"Brionac! Attack Noel Directly! _Diamond Breath Blast!"_ he shouted as his dragon flew backwards as Snow skidded his D-Wheel against the ground sparks flying as his dragon unleashed his attack, Noel's points dropping to be even with his own.

[Noel – LP: 4000 – **1700**]

"I set one card and end my turn!"

"Draw!" Noel shouted. "When I control no monsters I can Special Summon Junk Forward from my hand!" Noel shouted as he summoned the white armoured machine type warrior monster.

[Junk Forward – **ATK: 900** – DEF: 1500]

"Next I use the Spell Card, Tuning!" Noel shouted as he played the card, watching the enlarged version appear beside him. "This card lets me add one 'Synchron' Tuner Monster from my Deck to my Hand, and then I send the top card from my Deck to the Graveyard. I choose Hyper Synchron!"

"Hyper Synchron?" Snow asked back. "Why do you have him in your deck? He's a support card for Dragon-Type Synchro Monsters; you don't have any in your Extra Deck."

"Even then, he's still useful to have." Noel shouted back. "At least until I get my hands on a Bri Synchron!" he grinned. "I Summon Hyper Synchron!" he shouted as the blue armoured Synchron appeared on his other side. "I'm tuning my level three Junk Forward to my level four Tuner Hyper Synchron!" he commanded as his Synchron shot forward, breaking down into the rings.

"_Clustering stars will evoke the white flash! Become the path its light shines upon! _Synchro Summon!_ Strike Now! _Lightning Warrior!" Noel roared as Farron's old Ace card, that has now become his over the last few months appeared with a crack of thunder. As the light faded the familiar massive white armoured blonde warrior was floating beside him. At the same time Brionac turned around, roaring out at him.

[Lightning Warrior – **ATK: 2400 **– DEF: 1200]

"Aww shit." Snow swore loudly.

"Lightning Warrior! Attack Brionac!" Noel shouted as he gunned his D-Wheel, trying to improve his sense. "_Lightning Punisher!_" he roared as his warrior's hands began to spark with electricity. He fired the blast at the dragon who tried to counter with his own icy blast. Lightning Warrior won out and destroyed Snow's monster.

[Snow – LP: 1700 – **1600**]

"Lightning Warrior's effect activates!" Noel shouted as he was now racing neck to neck with Snow. "When he destroys a monster and sends it to the Graveyard he can inflict three hundred points of damage to my opponent for each card in my opponent's hand! You have three cards! That's nine hundred!" Noel chuckled. "Go Lightning Warrior! _Lightning Ray!" _His warrior cried out a battle cry as he blasted Snow with an energy attack from the gem on his chest plate.

[Snow – LP: 1600 – **700**]

"Now for my trap!" Snow shouted. "Synchro Spirits! This card lets me remove one Synchro Monster in my Graveyard from play and Special Summon its material monsters! I remove Brionac to Special Summon both Pilgrim and Dewdark of the Ice Barrier in defence mode!"

[Pilgrim of the Ice Barrier – ATK: 1500 – **DEF: 1000**]

[Dewdark of the Ice Barrier – ATK: 1200 – **DEF: 800**]

"I end my turn!"

"You're getting good." Snow chuckled. "Maybe we should have gone for a full point duel. Draw!" he chuckled.

"I use the Spell Card Medallion of the Ice Barrier! It allows me to add one Ice Barrier Monster from my Deck to my Hand! I choose General Gunard of the Ice Barrier!" he called out. "Next I release my two monsters to Advance Summon General Gunard of the Ice Barrier!" One of his strongest monsters, a warrior adorned in blue crystal armour appeared beside him, flying in the sky.

[General Gunard of the Ice Barrier – **ATK: 2800** – DEF: 1000]

"His effect allows me to Normal Summon or Set one Ice Barrier monster in addition to my Normal Summon." He grinned. "I summon Defender of the Ice Barrier." A golden fur dog adorned in similar armour to General Gunard appeared; ice crystals decorated his tail as he ran forward.

[Defender of the Ice Barrier - **ATK 200 – **DEF 1600].

"His effect, when he's on the field with another Ice Barrier; your monsters with sixteen hundred or more attack points cannot attack me. Let's see you Synchro Summon now Noel!" he taunted. "Battle! Gunard! Smash Lightning Warrior!"

Noel just smiled, seeing Snow's flaw as the Ice General destroyed Lightning Warrior. Snow was far too proud of himself that he didn't put much focus into his sense. Noel took the attack with stride.

[Noel - LP: 1700 – **1300**]

"Defender! Attack him directly!"

[Noel – LP: 1300 – **1100**]

"I end my turn!"

Noel grinned, Snow still didn't know how to duel properly with this deck he still had flaws. He drew the top card of his deck.

"I Summon Speed Warrior!" he shouted as a speedster in grey armour wearing goggles and an air breather appeared beside him, skating to keep up with the racing D-Wheels.

[Speed Warrior - **ATK: 900** – DEF: 400]

"Battle!"

"You can't attack!" Snow shouted back. "The turn Speed Warrior is Normal Summoned his Attack Points double!"

"No! I can make them double! I choose not to!" Noel cried back. "Speed Warrior! Attack Defender of the Ice Barrier! _Sonic Edge_!" he shouted as his warrior dashed up and destroyed the dog with a grunt. Snow cried out when his life points dropped to zero. The sides of his D-Wheel popped open, releasing bursts of smoke, the breaks kicked and he came to a stop. He groaned in defeat as Noel slowed to a stop beside him. "My win."

"I didn't think you'd fight like Farron." Snow joked back as he got off his D-Wheel. "I know you have the same deck and all, but I thought just maybe…."

"You could have won, if you didn't summon Defender." Noel joked. "I don't think I would have been able to get Road Warrior out to take out Gunland." He poked Snow in the chest. "That was your mistake." Snow chuckled as he scratched the back of his head.

"Yeah I guess, if I had him in defence it would have put you into lockdown." Snow muttered, Noel nodded. "Well then I know for next time." He looked over to the setting sun and grinned. "Perfect." He ran ahead and began to climb a pile of old Pulsework the duel came to an end at. He pulled two cards from his deck as he held them out before him. "I'm gonna do it! I'm gonna get Farron and Noel back for all those losses!" he held them out above his head before clasping them together in some sort of prayer.

"What is he doing?" Noel asked loudly, Maqui came up to him.

"You've heard the stories about the Skeleton Knight, haven't you?" Maqui asked, Noel shook his head. "Sheesh, you're like Farron." He groaned. "Neither of you like to bother with old folk tales."

"So what is it?" Noel asked again, Maqui shrugged his shoulders. "It's the legend of the Skeleton Knight." He sighed. "They say if one was to meet him he'd give that person a rare and powerful card that's even stronger than the legendary Crystal Reactor Cards." He held up a finger as if he was in teaching mode. "What Snow is doing is how one comes to meet the Skeleton Knight; it's called the Sunset Salute." Maqui chuckled. "Losing to you in the same style he'd lose to Farron must have ignited his fighting spirit."

"For such a big man, he's such a child." Noel chuckled. "It's hard to believe that he's three years older than me."

"He's the same age as Farron." Maqui responded. "At least, to what Farron figured how old she is, she might be older, or younger." They watched Snow who was probably chanting the same prayer over and over. "She figured she was twenty-one when we first met her?"

"Something like that. It would put her at twenty-four now." Maqui sat down on the ground. "She seems so much older tha-" both boys stopped when the abandoned Pulsework began to light up, some of them even trying to move their rusted limbs.

"Wha-?" Noel shouted as he looked around, his hands going for the Flame Fossil upon his back. Slowly he pulled them over, breaking the smaller blade away from the larger one.

"Noel! Look!" Maqui cried out pointing over to where Snow once was. Gone was the pile of scrap and in its place stood a temple of sorts stood. Most of the other Pulsians ran for cover but Noel stood there, swords hanging loosely at his side as he stared at the temple in awe. Suddenly the four pillars at the corners of the crude temple erupted in to flame, Maqui took a step back.

"_**A loser asking a favour from me? Do not make me laugh."**_

Noel looked up; finally someone had appeared upon the temple. A body was thrown down the steps, landing in a heap at the base.

"Snow!" Maqui shouted as Noel swung his blades out and stomped on the ground once with his right foot, his battle stance.

"What did you do to Snow?" Noel roared as the shadowed figure stepped out into the open. He saw the bone horse covered in wrappings before the rider; a man in armour with the face of a skeleton, the Skeleton Knight. He held his left arm out and a duel disk appeared on it with a collection of smoke from the flames.

"_**A loser who prays to me becomes my servant."**_ The Skeleton Knight answered darkly, his jaw never moving, his voice was like a dark echo in the overcast sky. _**"Snow Villers is mine to take."**_

"Let him go!" Noel roared back, he was nervous, hell, even scared, but he knew Farron wouldn't back down from this... being... so neither would he.

"_**Then defeat me in a duel."**_ He looked down at Noel, at least Noel thought he was, it was hard to tell. _**"But not a duel of blades, one of monsters."**_

Noel couldn't believe it, was this really the being from the stories?

* * *

><p>Lightning grunted when her D-Wheel came to a stop beside Fang's. Her breathing was laboured but she did her best to shake it off. She had won the playful duel against Fang, but just barely. Looking up slowly she pulled the card she had used off the dashboard and back into the Extra Deck where it belonged.<p>

"I just love your Reactor Monster!" Fang chuckled, "It amazing me that I'm the only one that can force ya ta pull it out in a duel!" Lightning just looked up at the Pulsian Woman.

"Fang, your deck." She was serious now, the smile on Fang's face dropped. "The names of your cards..."

"So you've finally noticed then."

"Indeed." Lightning narrowed her eyes. "The Legendary Black Feather Archtype." She growled, Fang pulled a card and held it up in front of her, Bahamut, Sire of the Skies. Lightning narrowed her eyes as the tanned woman threw it over to Lightning. She caught the card with ease as she held it onto it. With a shimmer the card started to change. Its picture changed from a black armoured dragon to one in white, his effect changed to something that would accommodate Lightning's deck, as did his name.

"Twilight Bahamut." She read before tossing the card back. In an instant it was back to the way it was before. "Is this one of the properties of the Reactor Monsters?"

"Yes." Fang answered as she started to drive away, Lightning following. "It was discovered in my village. The cards printed for the celebration of the Crystal Reactors carry some kind of weird magical property, if you may. The same goes for their counterparts, if I was holding onto yours, it would change as well."

"So the Black Feathers..." Lightning asked softly, Fang tossed her another card. Lightning watched as Black Wyvern – Siroccro the Dawn transformed into its original Black Feather appearance. "I don't..."

"No one does." Fang growled. "The Elder of my village might have known, but it's not like I can just go and ask him." She accelerated forward. "At first I thought they were all Reactor Monsters..."

"But to anyone else who holds them, they're Black Feathers..." Lightning whispered, Fang brought up her hand and clutched her tattoo, grinding her teeth together. "Fang, we need to go to Oerba, and figure this out."

"No!" Fang shouted, her eyes wild and scared, Lightning shook her head.

"If you're going to be my partner, I will not let you be bothered by something like this." She answered firmly. "We're either going to Oerba or I'm leaving." she threatened, Fang hesitated.

* * *

><p>"<em><strong>Wager your own soul! Human Duelist!"<strong>_

"_This Sense... it's not normal... did I really put my soul on the line?"_

"_Lend me your strength... Snow... Maqui... Farron! I draw!"_

**Next Time: **_Shadow Sense – The Lord of the Underworld!_


End file.
